Thousands lost while awaiting care

More than 5,000 people in Catalonia died during the past year while still undergoing procedures to access state-funded dependency support, according to a public denunciation by Ramón Nicolau, vicepresident of the Taula d'entitats del Tercer Sector Social de Catalunya. The figures reveal a critical gap between social need and administrative response. Around 1,500 of those who died had already been assessed and recognised as dependent but died before receiving any material assistance. "For 1,500 people, the degree [of dependency] was already recognised, but they were waiting for help, and it never arrived," Nicolau said in an interview on Herrera en COPE Cataluña, hosted by José Miguel Cruz.

Delays in care assessment and support

The process is governed by Spain’s 2007 Dependency Law, which mandates that each applicant receives a Personalised Care Programme (Programa Individual de Atención, PIA) within three months. In reality, waits stretch from eight months to a year. Data from the Catalan government indicates that applicants wait an average of 258 days, over eight months, from initial assessment to receiving their PIA, with delays reaching up to 224 days in Girona. Assessment teams known as SEVAD (Servicios de valoración de la dependencia), operating through 25 centres across Catalonia, are understaffed. Shortages in cover for staff absences cause bottlenecks, worsening regional disparities in access.

More than 90% say they want to grow old at home, yet the system is structured so they cannot continue living in their homes.

System fails public preference

Despite evidence that more than 90% of older people prefer to age at home rather than enter residential care, public resources remain disproportionately channelled into limited residential placements, which themselves face two-year waiting lists. Nicolau criticised the imbalance: "More than 90% say they want to grow old at home, yet the system is structured so they cannot continue living in their homes." He urged a shift in funding toward home-based support services, arguing that direct personal care, such as help with cleaning, feeding and daily routines, not only preserves dignity but also prevents deterioration and reduces institutional costs.

  • Average wait for dependency assessment: 139 days
  • Average wait for PIA after assessment: 119 days
  • Total unresolved cases in September: 53,787
  • Most resolved cases: Barcelona city and metropolitan area

Budget deadlock worsens crisis

The current political impasse over the Generalitat’s budget has halted new funding allocations for elderly care services. Without approved finances, improvements to the social care network remain frozen. The Taula d'entitats demands greater involvement in policy design and calls for dedicated budget lines to meet the needs of an ageing population, a challenge they describe as both a moral and institutional emergency.

Reported by cope.es, José Miguel Cruz, Jose Díaz, Yolanda Canales.