Andorra's Radars Project Detects 15 Loneliness Cases in Elderly

Andorra's Radars project, aimed at tackling unwanted loneliness among older residents, has identified 15 new vulnerability cases in its initial months of operation, according to the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Launched around April, the government programme—modelled on a Barcelona initiative—relies on volunteers, everyday businesses and field surveys by Andorra Recerca + Innovació (AR+I) to spot isolation, including among those living with others. Ministry sources described the early results as "very positive", highlighting swift activation of support services.

Volunteers have conducted 117 accompaniment calls since the start, with 11 leading to direct ministry intervention. These included home visits, coordination with health and social professionals, and contact with relatives.

The detection network involves around 40 participating businesses such as pharmacies, shops, hairdressers and real estate agencies, which display stickers to signal their role. Most alerts concerned individuals already known to social services, but one pharmacy flagged a previously unrecorded person. This prompted a comprehensive assessment by the Servei d'Atenció a Domicili (SAD) and deployment of tailored resources.

AR+I surveys have also pinpointed cases across parishes, triggering further SAD evaluations.

The project runs fully in Andorra la Vella and is rolling out in Sant Julià de Lòria, with initial surveys underway in Ordino and elsewhere to tailor expansion to local needs. The ministry has informed pharmacists' and physicians' colleges, as well as primary care centres, to widen participation. Officials, under Minister Trini Marín, emphasised the value of community networks in catching subtle changes that might otherwise go unnoticed, supporting plans to train more volunteers and extend coverage.