Andorra Urged to Expand Elderly Day Centres Amid Ageing Population
Fèlix Zapatero calls for more sociosanitary facilities, increased home care staffing, and notes limits of current services in Andorra.
Key Points
- Zapatero urges expansion of day centres and sociosanitary residences.
- Calls for increased staffing in Home Care Service (SAD).
- Andorra has 4 sociosanitary centres (9am-5pm weekdays) plus 4 Red Cross centres.
- New CAP opening next year in Encamp, but not a long-term solution.
Fèlix Zapatero, president of the Federation of Elderly Associations, called on Thursday for Andorra to expand its network of day centres and sociosanitary residences to meet growing demand from the ageing population.
Speaking on Ràdio Nacional's *Avui serà un bon dia* programme, Zapatero also urged an increase in staffing for the Home Care Service (SAD). He highlighted the current limitations of existing facilities, noting that the Principality has four sociosanitary centres offering day services. These operate from 9am to 5pm on weekdays, with weekend access available by prior appointment.
The Andorran Red Cross supplements this with four additional centres in Sant Julià de Lòria, Santa Coloma, Escaldes-Engordany, and La Massana. A new Primary Care Centre (CAP) is slated to open next year in Encamp's Plaça dels Arínsols.
Zapatero acknowledged that establishing a CAP is simpler than building a full sociosanitary centre, which requires suitable land, several years of construction, and dedicated management. While he described the CAP as "a solution", he stressed it is not definitive—nor are day centres alone sufficient to address long-term needs.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: