Guide
Parents living alone in India: what NRI children can arrange
How NRIs can look after parents living alone in India: regular visits, doctors, check-ups, emergencies, medicines and the pension life certificate.
Updated 30 October 2026
When parents live alone, the most useful support is a regular, trusted visitor who reports back to you, plus a plan for doctors and emergencies. Add routine health check-ups at home, a reliable supply of medicines, and someone to make sure yearly tasks like the pension life certificate are done on time.
What to do
- Start weekly or fortnightly wellness visits with an update to you after each one.
- Keep a list of their doctors, medicines and insurance, and share it with the visitor.
- Book a yearly health check-up with sample collection at home.
- Agree an emergency plan: nearest hospital, who to call, and who goes with them.
- Set reminders for the pension life certificate each November.