Govt. warns of legal action against unregistered elderly care homes after deadline

The National Secretariat for Elders has announced that all unregistered elderly care homes must complete their registration by September 30, 2026.In response to an inquiry by Ada Derana, the Director of the Secretariat, K. Chathura Mihidum, stated that a nationwide survey is currently underway to collect information on unregistered elderly care homes.He urged elderly care home operators who have not yet provided their details to complete the Google Form issued by the Secretariat and submit the required information.He said registration is essential for elderly care homes to benefit from special government programmes that will be introduced in the future.He further warned that legal action could be taken against any institution providing residential care for more than five elderly persons without registering.According to him, individual notices have already been sent to all identified unregistered facilities, informing them that legal action will be initiated if they fail to register before September 30, 2026."We have identified 311 unregistered elderly care homes currently operating across the country. We have already sent individual notices to all of them, informing them that they must complete their registration by September 30, failing which legal action will be taken," he added.