ALLEM Urges Catalan Government to Integrate Rural Disability Support Post-Pilot Success

The ALLEM Federation, representing 18 disability organizations in the Lleida region, is urging the Catalan government to integrate rural personal assistance into its social services portfolio. The group calls for deploying two community support agents per county to aid people with intellectual disabilities, mental health issues, and other vulnerabilities.

This push follows the successful three-year pilot project *Som Rurals-Som de Muntanya*, which ran from 2023 through December 2025 across nine Lleida counties. Funded by EU Next Generation funds and backed by the Department of Social Rights, the initiative identified 131 vulnerable individuals facing unwanted isolation. It provided personalized accompaniments to 41 of them, using a person-centered care model.

ALLEM coordinator Assumpta Fortuny presented the results, highlighting how rural and mountain residents often fall outside standard social and health services due to their distance from county capitals. Support workers built community ties, bridged gaps to local resources, and aimed to improve quality of life. "The project has a very important human dimension," Fortuny noted.

User profiles showed half with mental health problems, 47% with over 45% recognized disability, more than 60% aged 46-65, and 90% facing challenges in living environment, mental health, finances, or housing. Selections were made with input from county councils and basic health areas, involving weekly home visits.

In Alt Urgell county, nearly 30 people were identified, with accompaniments for seven. Integra Pirineus director Urgell Escribà said the group plans to maintain links through periodic follow-ups, even if less frequent, as some users await ongoing support measures.

With the government's social services under review, ALLEM argues for resources tailored to rural and mountain specifics, based on the pilot's on-the-ground insights.