Carers uncared for: Lack of regulations make home nurses vulnerable in Keralam
Home nurses in Kerala are facing exploitation, including low wages, long hours, and a lack of regulatory protections. Many caregivers are forced to pay commissions to agencies while working without social security or proper rest.
Why it matters
The report sheds light on the precarious working conditions of the informal caregiving sector, which is increasingly vital due to aging populations.
For more than two years, Lissy Sunny, a 48-year-old home nurse from Wayanad, has been attending to an elderly woman with dementia.
Lissy stays with the family that hired her to take care of the ageing woman.
From 2019: ‘Most caregivers feel stressed and burdened’
Every morning, after feeding the bedridden woman, Lissy rushes to the kitchen to prepare food for the four-member family with whom she is staying. Her everyday chores end late in the night, long after the family members retire to bed.
All that she is paid for the tiring job is ₹22,000 a month, from which she needs to shell out ₹2,500 as commission to the agent who found her the job.
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