Senior Citizens

Bahraini culture values its elderly citizens and the wisdom of their experience. The Ministry of Social Development protects and cares for the elderly through a range of services, helping to maintain their relationships with their families and their important status in society.

Initiatives that ensure seniors are taken care of include financial assistance, health care services, housing support, transportation, and recreational activities. Additionally, the government works with local Non-Governmental Organizations to ensure that elderly citizens receive the best possible care and support. With these efforts, Bahrain is working hard to ensure that its senior citizens are well taken care of and can live out their golden years in comfort and dignity.

Services for Senior Citizens

Elderly Discount Card

The Elderly Discount Card is provided by the Ministry of Social Development for senior citizens to benefit from several services at a discounted rate from various public and private entities. View the list of services supported by the elderly discount ID card.

Residential Care Centers for the Elderly

Several specialized care homes offer social, health, psychological, and recreational care, including rehabilitation programs, when necessary, and various types of permanent or temporary accommodations, especially for people without financial support.

Social Assistance for the Elderly

These services include financial aid and free wheelchairs, toilet chairs, crutches, walkers, hearing aids, and other prosthetic devices.

Elderly Day Care

The Ministry of Social Development supervises several parental care homes, located in residential neighbourhoods throughout the Kingdom, which look after the elderly during the day. It also provides them with social, health, psychological, and recreational support, and develops suitable rehabilitation programs and services that utilize their experiences and capabilities, seeking to integrate them into society instead of isolating them in shelters.

These homes are managed in partnership with the local community, including civil society and private sector organisations. They transform initiatives and programs into projects that contribute to sustainable social development.

To ensure the success of these projects and provide high-quality services to the elderly, annual financial support and grants are allocated to parental care homes, and field visits to elderly day care homes are carried out regularly to gauge their progress. Training workshops for daycare home workers are also organized by the Elderly Care department.

A list of elderly day care centers is available here .

ID card services for the Elderly

As part of its efforts to provide services targeting vulnerable groups and promoting equity within Bahrain’s community, the Information & eGovernment Authority is committed to providing services that cater to all the segment’s needs and leaving no one behind.

The Authority provides benefits and services for the elderly, including a discounted fee for senior citizens when renewing their Identity Card with the option to deliver the ID Card through postal services for all users making the collection process more convenient and accessible. A special office was established that provides all Identity Card services without the need to book an appointment for individuals that need special care.

Health Services for the Elderly

Mobile units for healthcare are provided to the elderly at health centres, which also offer nursing services and care at the beneficiary’s home, especially for those unable to travel. A specialized team consisting of a nurse, a home visit technician, and a health driver makes home visits to the elderly to provide them with the necessary healthcare, nursing, and family counselling services, as well as personal care and other elderly services.

The Ministry of Health also offers a wide range of health services dedicated for senior citizens.

National Committee for Elderly

In 1984, the Kingdom of Bahrain became one of the first Arab countries to form a National Committee for the Elderly. The committee includes members representing the government and the private sector entities involved in elderly care.

The committee implements the policies, organizes programs and projects, and raise public awareness of the issues related to the elderly.

These collaborative efforts involving government and private sector entities align with SDG 17's objective of strengthening partnerships for the goals, especially in addressing social development issues and supporting elderly citizens.