The government is continuing negotiations with the autonomous communities to sign a new accreditation agreement for the nursing homes. The Ministry of Social Rights, led by Ione Bellara, estimates that this initiative will create 34,294 jobs in the national dependency system. “Specifically, 21 071 jobs in stages by December 2029 and 13 223 jobs in day care centers in December 2023,” said social rights sources.
The latest project submitted by Social Rights to reform the nursing home model was not implemented by the Territorial Council in late May. The communities governed by PP and PSOE, as well as Catalonia and Euskada, have expressed their doubts about the project.
The document, which is still being prepared, sets the standards that accredited residences must meet. We are talking at least about the human, material, equipment and quality resources that should govern the future of nursing homes. In the latest proposal submitted by the Social Rights for Autonomous Communities, it is obliged to limit the capacity of the new residences to 75, 90 or 120 seats, depending on the location of the center. Of course, these restrictions do not apply to already built care resources.
Bellara’s ministry is committed to transforming the care model, and they therefore provide that each customer has a “personal care and support plan that collects their preferences.” Documents exchanged between the autonomous communities and the central government also propose giving the centers three years to allow their users to receive “care without restriction”. Thus, social rights advocates consider these means of “complete and safe suppression” of immobilization of the elderly, which can be used only as an “exception” and in a protocol.
The minimum ratios, which are strongly criticized by consumers’ relatives and workers, are another point that this agreement plans to change. As of today, the Ministry plans to have three direct care specialists for every seven customers in the elderly care centers, and one professional for every two residents in the dormitories for the disabled. These figures are due to be reached in 2029, so public and agreed centers still have seven years to reach these ratios.
For day centers, the proportion will be one first-level direct care professional for every seven users, reducing this ratio to one in five employees if users have disabilities. According to these forecasts, the Ministry estimates that more than 34,000 jobs will be created by 2029.
The Ministry of Social Rights evaluates the economic injection made by the government. According to a document released to the media, funding for the department “amounted to 1,528 million euros in 2020, doubled to 20,086 million in 2021, and 3,864 million in the budget in 2022.” In addition, by 2023, they indicate that the “upward trend” will be maintained “with an increase of at least another € 600 million for the minimum level of protection and the agreed level”.
Source: El Diario
