THE progress made by our country in economic and social terms have contributed very positively to increasing the life expectancy of citizens to reach 83.07 years in 2022. In fact, the the population over 80 years old represents 6% of the total population.
Increasing life expectancy is generally accompanied by an increase in chronic diseases: we live longer, but with more health problems. Added to this is the fact that in Spain 4.3 million people suffer from some type of disability.60.9% of whom are aged 65 or over, leading to an increase in the need for care, making retirement homes an essential and increasingly demanded service.
According to the report “Observatory of the private social and health sector” Greater coordination and definition of common services between social services and health services are needed, supported by adequate budgets. However, with public funding does not cover the current (and future) demands of society, – 87% of people are not in a residence and their care depends on informal carers with few resources (only 29% receive dependency assistance allowances).
“The private sector owns 70% of residences and 74% of beds for the elderlywhich provides support to facilitate the quality of life of our elderly. This is why it is essential to make a firm commitment to joint work between the public and private sectors to address disparities in the availability of residential places, reduce hospital pressure and the bed occupancy rate in the SNS, as well as a framework for Social and health care/Intermediate care in centres where certain convalescence, rehabilitation and palliative care processes are treated“.
This has been ensured Juan Abarca, President of the Institute for Development and Integration of Health (IDIS Foundation)during the presentation of the report, presented today in Madrid, as part of the opening day the Minister of Family, Youth and Social Affairs of the Community of Madrid, Ana Dávila.
Analyzing this future challenge, taking into account available resources, is one of the objectives of this report, which shows that, despite the important role that the nursing home sector plays in terms of care for the elderly, Only about 9% of long-term care benefits are for residential care; That is, benefits through which a resident is allocated a state-funded place in a retirement home.
Situation of private residences and contribution of value to the sector in Spain
In Spain, private residences play a crucial role in long-term care for the elderly, offering a variety of options tailored to individual needs. These residences come in a wide range of capacities, providing personalized and quality care to their residents. In total, the number of private residences in Spain in 2022 is 5,567 and the places in private residences represent 73.5% (289,471), which are mainly concentrated in residential centers with more than 100 beds. For Marta Villanueva, CEO of the IDIS Foundation, “access to adequate and quality accommodation is a crucial aspect to guarantee the well-being of older people, who also largely face problems such as vulnerability and polychronicity. “It is therefore essential to work together between the two areas of provision, to ensure that all these people have access to the long-term care services they need and deserve at this stage of their lives.”
New models of care
The private nursing home sector in Spain is working hard to provide places, as evidenced by the forecast for the creation of 47,363 new beds distributed in 503 residential centers. This growth reflects the commitment of the private sector to improve and expand the offer of long-term care for the country’s elderly population. Likewise, it should be noted that the private nursing home sector has very high quality standards, consolidating itself as providers of quality services and comprehensive care for residents. According to Patxi Amutio, Secretary General of the IDIS Foundation, “The private sector is committed to innovation, developing new models of care, coexistence and insurance through technology to improve the long-term sustainability of the sector. In addition, it works on aspects such as professionalization, continuity of care and promoting the creation of social support networks among residents.
Similarly, the report highlights models that offer housing alternatives to older people who can maintain their independence, such as retirement homes, and financial products to provide financial coverage if necessary, such as dependency insurance or mortgage redemption. method of converting the value of a house into money, without losing ownership of it.
Regarding future trends, it is observed that one of the objectives is to bring nursing homes closer to hospitals, which allows multiple benefits in terms of medical care, facilitates coordination between health professionals, provides immediate access to specialized services and promotes comprehensive health care for residents. Additionally, it provides peace of mind to residents and their families, knowing that they have high-quality medical care nearby should they need it. This physical proximity and collaboration between the two types of facilities optimizes care and improves the efficiency of care.
Another need raised by the document is the need for residences to have adequate staff, both in number and in qualifications, and the need to promote Geriatric care units for residences (UAGR) which, in addition, promote collaboration between the private and public sectors to improve care and prevent nursing homes from receiving hospital care.
