Media Release
Mangaluru, Oct 29: St Aloysius University [deemed to be] and Development Education Service [DEEDS] Mangaluru have jointly developed a certificate course for those interested in becoming caregivers for senior citizens. Candidates who complete this training will have the expertise to provide various types of services to maintain the physical and mental health of senior citizens. Any candidate who passes this training will be prepared to provide services in their own homes, neighborhoods, hospitals, nursing homes, and daycare centers.
Aging is a universal reality, and the number of senior citizens among the growing population cannot be underestimated. The care and concern for the elderly is not just the responsibility of the medical profession. Medicines and treatments can only keep them free from disease, but non-medical measures are equally important in keeping them healthy. It is our understanding and belief that addressing the challenges associated with aging requires an integrated approach to care that draws from diverse fields such as psychology, physiology, biology, and sociology.
Taking care of our elders is not a favor we owe to anyone, it is our duty and responsibility. We need to create a conducive environment for the elderly to peacefully and with dignity go through the final stages of their lives. We have recognized that no matter how strong our concern for senior citizens is, our knowledge and capacity regarding their care is limited. To address this, we hope to foster a social awareness, knowledge, and responsibility among every citizen on how to care for their elderly family members emotionally, scientifically, and technologically. This small effort is creating a skilled workforce that can provide professional, compassionate care to seniors.
Course details:
Course duration one month [26 days total 162 hours]
First batch on November 3.
First batch on November 3.
Second batch on January 3, 2026. [Subsequent batches to be announced from time to time]
Weekend batch for those employed will be conducted from February 2026. [26 Sundays in a year]
Accommodation will be provided for those from outside Mangaluru city.
Course cost: Rs 7500 per candidate [Meals and accommodation are separate]
Scholarship or fee concession will be provided to candidates with financial difficulties.
Benefits:
• Trained and certified candidates can find employment in various hospitals, nursing homes, senior citizen daycare centers, and caregiver supply agencies
• Those who can speak Tulu, Konkani, Beary, Arabic, Malayalam, Kannada, English, Hindi and Hebrew have more opportunities abroad.
• Immediate job opportunities for those who can ride a two-wheeler and have a passport.
• Opportunities to become nursing assistants in government, non-government and private healthcare sectors.
• Who are qualified under this course are able to run one's own care agency or daycare center.
• Those who persoue this training are able to take care of their own elderly in the household. which will cut the cost of frequent hospitalisation and dependency depend on external care givers.
This course has been designed based on the long-term professional experience of medical experts, experienced nurses, experts in the field of psychology, and experts in the field of social work. This course is a non-medical certificate course and is designed for candidates who wish to pursue a career as caregivers after completing training in various service organizations, old age homes, and organizations that run nursing centers. Part of the design of this course is to introduce you to organizations that run nursing centers, hospitals, and service delivery agencies.
Dr Praveen Martis SJ, vice chancellor, St Aloysius [Deemed to be University ] Mangaluru; Merlin Martis, director, Development Education Service [DEEDS]; Ashitha Pinto, course coordinator, St Aloysius [Deemed to be University ] Mangaluru, and Usha Maria Periera, course coordinator, Development Education Service [DEEDS] were present at the press meet.