Understanding the Cost of Elder Care in Bengaluru: A Planning Framework

There's no reliable "average cost" of elder care in Bengaluru. It depends on how much help is needed, where your parent lives, what kind of home or service is involved, and what health care they need. Instead of an average, this guide gives you a framework: seven cost areas, a worksheet to fill with real quotes, and a note on schemes that may reduce costs.

Start with the care plan, not the budget

Costs follow needs. Before collecting prices, write down, with your parent:

• Where they want to live: their own home, with family, or in a senior-living community or care home.
• What help they need now, and how often: for example, cooking, bathing, getting to appointments, medicines, or company during the day.
• What might change in the next year or two, based on what their doctor has said.

Our guide to independent living, assisted living and nursing care explains the main options.

The seven cost areas

1. Housing

Rent or maintenance for their current home, or the deposit and monthly fee for a senior-living community or care home. For communities and homes, ask what the fee includes. Ask about meals, utilities, housekeeping, laundry and activities, and about annual increases.

2. Food

Groceries and cooking, a cook's salary, or a tiffin service. In a residential setting, check whether special diets cost extra.

3. Transport

Cabs or a driver for appointments, visits and errands, and travel costs for family who come from other cities.

4. Assistance and personal care

This is often the largest and most variable cost. It might include a part-time helper, a full-time or live-in attendant, a home nurse for specific tasks, or adult day care. Ask agencies whether rates differ for day and night, how leave and replacements are handled, and what the agency fee covers.

5. Medical expenses

Doctor consultations, tests, regular medicines, physiotherapy, and hospital stays. Find out what any health insurance or government scheme covers, and what it doesn't, before you need it.

6. Equipment and home changes

One-off costs such as grab bars, non-slip flooring, a commode chair, a walker or wheelchair, a hospital bed, or better lighting. Our home safety checklist helps you list what's needed.

7. Contingency

Money set aside for the unexpected, such as a hospital stay, a helper leaving at short notice, or a sudden need for more care. Decide together how much to set aside, and where it will be kept.

A worksheet to fill with real quotes

Copy this into a notebook or spreadsheet. Get at least two quotes for each significant cost, and write down the date and source, because prices change.

Getting reliable quotes

• Ask for the full fee structure in writing: deposits, monthly fees, what's extra, notice periods and refund terms.
• Ask what triggers a price change, for example more care needs or an annual revision.
• Compare like with like. "Assisted living" or "24-hour care" can mean different things to different providers.
• Talk to families already using the service where possible, but treat individual experiences as one data point.
• Elderline (14567)↗ (opens in a new tab), the national helpline for senior citizens, can provide information on healthcare facilities, old age homes, day-care centres and caregivers, and guidance on pensions and government schemes.

Government health cover for people aged 70 and over

In 2024 the Union Cabinet approved↗ (opens in a new tab) health cover under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) for all senior citizens aged 70 and above, irrespective of income, with cover of up to ₹5 lakh a year. Eligibility rules, enrolment and the hospitals that accept it can change, so check the current details on the official scheme website or at an empanelled hospital. Don't assume it covers every cost.

Sharing costs within the family

If several family members contribute, agree on it openly. Decide who pays for what, how shared costs are recorded, and how often you review them. Fairness doesn't have to mean equal money. Time, travel and care work count too. Our guide to how siblings can coordinate care includes a responsibility matrix that can include finances.

Budget for the primary caregiver's breaks as well. The US National Institute on Aging notes↗ (opens in a new tab) that respite, or short-term relief for the main caregiver, can come from family, friends, volunteers or paid services, and professional services charge by the hour or by the day.

Review regularly

Revisit the worksheet every few months, and whenever care needs change. A budget that matched last year's needs can quickly fall short.

This guide is general information, not financial advice. For decisions about investments, insurance or property, speak with a qualified adviser.