Elderly Care Rights Law

Among the honors and benevolence to the elderly are protecting their rights and care for their interests, their health, and placing them in a place fitting them in the light of a society that is aware of their societal value. The Egyptian government has ensured the care of the rights of the elderly and their duties towards society, and the President has ratified Law No. 19 of 2024 regarding caring for the rights of the elderly.

Objectives of the Elderly Rights Care Law

This law aims to protect and care for the elderly, ensuring that they enjoy all social, political, health, cultural, and other rights, providing them with the necessary protection, enhancing their dignity, and securing a decent life for them.

Obligations of the Elderly Rights Care Law

There is no doubt that Egypt aims to care for the rights of the elderly, and the President ratified Law No. 19 of 2024 regarding caring for the rights of the elderly over the age of 65 years. What signifies this law that it is not limited to Egyptian citizens, but rather includes foreigners with legal residency in Egypt who are the legal age for retirement in accordance with the laws of their country. The purpose of issuing this law is to protect and care for the elderly and ensure their enjoyment of all social, political, health, cultural, recreational and other rights that guarantee their full care, enhance their dignity, and ensure a decent and fair social life.

The country stressed on the administrative bodies, including ministries, governmental departments, public bodies, and other persons, to protect the rights of the elderly stipulated in this law. It also stressed on the administrative and local authorities to remove all obstacles and impediments that prevent the elderly from enjoying their rights, and in particular, but not limited to:

• Respecting the freedoms of the elderly to exercise his/her choices on his/her own and of his/her own free will.
• Ensuring effective equality in all human rights and freedoms, freely expressing his/her opinions, paying attention to them and taking them into account.
• Providing social care services in the form of recreational and cultural activities that meet the needs of the elderly in a manner commensurate with his/her economic and social circumstances.

The country also stressed the need to raise social awareness of protecting the rights and duties of the elderly and promoting respect for these rights and other rights and duties that aim to protect and protect the rights of the elderly.

The law indicated and called on the competent ministry to facilitate the establishment of social care institutions for the elderly at different economic levels aiming to participate in continuing education and adult education programs and to include in the curricula of schools, institutes and universities the study of sciences related to the elderly. As stipulated in Article (5) of the law No. 19 of 2024, the elderly person in charge of care has the right to obtain a monthly payment in the event that he/she does not receive an insurance payment, the Ministry and the competent authorities are committed to delivering the elderly person’s payment to the elderly person’s place of residence in exchange for a service fee of half a percent of the value of the elderly person’s payment to his/her place of residence in exchange for a service fee of half a percent of the value of the payment and not exceeding one hundred Egyptian pounds (EGP 100), to be borne by the elderly person in charge of care.

Whereas this law does not exempt the role of the family from joining hands in caring for its elderly and providing their necessary needs, but rather extends the role of the elderly’s family with the state to care for the rights and duties of the elderly, and in accordance with Islamic law, the first to care for children, then children’s children, then siblings. If there are multiple family members, they choose among themselves who will take care of the elderly. However, if there is no agreement between them and no one among them comes forward to take care of the elderly, and if there is no agreement between the family to choose one of them to care for the elderly.

The competent ministry must submit an order to the president of the court for family affairs concerned to issue an order on a petition appointing a relative to take over and determine his residence in one of the social care homes. This law regulates if the person charged with caring for the elderly requests expenses to be borne by the children, then the children’s children, then the siblings in charge of care rights, in accordance with what was ruled by the president of the competent family court.

Law No. 19 of 2024 also stressed on social institutions for the care of the elderly and not to keep an elderly person in care homes without his/her desire. These institutions are also committed to providing psychological support to the elderly and raising the efficiency of health competency and preventive measures in accordance with the laws of health insurance rules. The country also bears the expenses related to treating the elderly person in primary care.

Perhaps what distinguishes this law is that the country has designated the elderly person as the most cared for by issuing a special card, that guarantees him/her access to all his/her benefits, rights, and duties due to him/her. This card is renewed every five years. The elderly person also has a partial exemption from the cost of using public transportation and subscription fees in public entities.

An elderly care fund shall be established, with its headquarters in Cairo and consisting of a board of directors that shall have the full authority as it is the dominant authority to protect the affairs of the elderly in care.

Is it permissible to imprison the elderly under the Elderly Rights Care Law?

Law No. 19 of 2024 also stipulated that the elderly person in need of care, if he/she was accused in relation with a case or several cases, or a victim, must receive humanitarian care commensurate with his/her health and psychological condition and needs. It also recommended transferring detainees of the elderly in need of care to correctional and rehabilitation centers.

In conclusion, law No. 19 of 2024 aims to educate natural persons about the rights of the elderly and ensure that they carry out their duties with integrity.