Muscat: The Minister of Social Development (MoSD) has issued a decision No.190/2024, introducing new regulations to offer foster care to the elderly.
According to the decision, the foster care has to be provided voluntarily for elderly individuals without financial compensation.
The Ministry may offer support to alternative families to facilitate their caregiving responsibilities.
The decision has outlined the main conditions to offer care for the elderly and for the alternative family, too.
The elderly must be an Omani citizen, who does not have adequate family care, and he should be free of infectious diseases as confirmed by medical reports, the decision stated.
The alternative family must also be of Omani nationality, socially stable, capable of meeting the elderly person's needs and residing in a suitable environment.
To initiate a sponsorship request, a family member must submit a request to the relevant department, along with required documents such as marriage certificate, non-conviction certificates, proof of stable income, home ownership or rental documents, and a medical report verifying the family's health status.
The Ministry department will review applications within 30 days and provide justifications for any rejections. Applicants may appeal decisions within 60 days.
The ministry will provide ongoing supervision, which entails regular monitoring by the Ministry department, with visits scheduled at least every three months.
Meanwhile, the foster family is responsible for promptly reporting any health or behavioral changes in the elderly person, as well as any accidents or incidents. The ministry will take legal measures if the elderly person is found to have been harmed due to negligence or abuse.
According to the ministry, fostering care may conclude upon a request from any of the two sides, the death of any of them, or if neglect or failure to provide care is reported. This structured programme, jointly developed by the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Health, has supported numerous elderly individuals, including those residing in social care centres across various governorates.
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