The necessary supervision of nursing homes
Nursing homes bear the enormous responsibility of ensuring a dignified life for thousands of citizens, many of whom arrive to spend the most fragile and vulnerable years of their lives. Their work is essential, as the sector itself acknowledges when it denounces the lack of human and material resources with which it faces this task, in a country where, given the ever-increasing life expectancy, these facilities and services will become increasingly necessary.
Today, we published some sad and shameful data in ARA: more than five million euros in fines imposed on nursing homes that engaged in undignified practices toward their residents between 2020 and 2024. The fact that these are a minority of centers (according to data from the Generalitat) does not diminish the seriousness of the situations suffered by their residents. We are talking about serious infractions related to lack of hygiene, inadequate diets, or even improper medication administration, with the resulting health risks. Intolerable situations that, in the most critical cases, have also led to closure orders for a total of thirteen care homes across the country, mostly for not being officially registered and offering services illegally or for failing to comply with adaptability regulations.
Data from the inspection by the Department of Social Rights paints a picture of the period following the COVID-19 pandemic, which wreaked havoc on nursing homes, with thousands of deaths and situations of suffering for many families that, in many cases, have still not been remedied. The fact that sanctions increased in the two years immediately following the outbreak of COVID-19 is surely the result of increased monitoring and scrutiny of these centers, which we should welcome and, above all, maintain. The evaluation of such a sensitive activity is desirable, and therefore, more resources are needed to make it possible.
The 29 professionals (mostly women) currently responsible for monitoring the thousand authorized care homes at least once a year represent a far too small staff, especially considering they are also responsible for supervising day centers, residences for people with disabilities, mental health facilities, and supported housing for victims of gender-based violence. Even with the support of inspectors from the Department of Health, further steps should be taken to enable even more effective and thorough oversight of these companies (only 3% of places are publicly funded) in order to detect concerning situations earlier. Well-managed and adequately funded monitoring and control mechanisms are the key tool for isolating companies whose negligent work undermines trust in an essential sector responsible for the care of thousands of elderly and increasingly dependent people, as confirmed by data from the Catalan government itself. The profile of the resident is increasingly that of a person suffering from dementia or serious mobility problems (in 80% of cases) and who, therefore, needs more complex care and more healthcare resources, which families and the sector itself have long been demanding from the Government. This demand must find the full support of society, out of respect for our elderly and to prepare for a future in which the need for places and facilities will grow, as will the elderly population, in the coming years.
