Tenerife Elderly Care Program Not Running Despite August Launch
A home care program for 500 elderly people, announced by the island government last August, has not yet launched, despite officials previously stating it was operational.
The island government (CC and PP) has confirmed that a home care program, designed to help 500 elderly people stay in their homes across five municipalities, is not yet running, even though its launch was announced last August.
Socialist councilor Marián Franquet revealed this. She pointed out that Águeda Fumero, the head of Social Action, had announced the program's launch in August and repeated this at a full council meeting on October 31. But at a committee meeting this Thursday, Fumero admitted that "the program is not assisting anyone, so the actual care provided is zero," Franquet said.
The PSOE of Tenerife criticized what they called "management based on announcements that do not translate into effective services." They are calling for "rigor, transparency, and the immediate implementation of real policies for the elderly and their families." The party highlighted that it has been "proven" a program, announced as operational in a full council meeting, "is not assisting anyone." Franquet stressed, "They said the program was underway, and now they admit it is not assisting anyone."
Marián Franquet pointed out that this program isn't new; it was an idea the PSOE promoted during the previous term. She also criticized the current government for "taking almost three years to sign it" only to then "not put it into operation."
Franquet noted this isn't the first time the island government has contradicted itself on elderly care. She recalled they previously announced 518 new places for the elderly, but it was later found that residential homes had barely 56.
The PSOE of Tenerife believes these incidents show a governing style "based on announcements" rather than action. The councilor emphasized, "You cannot state in a full council meeting that a program is underway and, weeks later, admit in a committee that it is not assisting anyone." She concluded that "dependency and aging are not to be trifled with."
In June this year, the Cabildo de Tenerife announced Islénior Acompaña, a new 3.7-million-euro service aimed at creating a different model of elderly care. This decision followed a consultation process involving Tenerife residents over 65. There are 137,520 potential beneficiaries in this age group, making up 14.5% of the island's population. It was promoted as a "pioneering" project that would "revolutionize social management" by offering individualized care for seniors. The initiative was scheduled to launch in the last quarter of the year, serving 500 users with a team of 37 professionals across five municipalities: Santa Cruz de Tenerife, La Laguna, Puerto de la Cruz, Arico, and Arona.
The 3.7 million euros are intended to fund the project for its first two years. Islénior Acompaña aligns with the First Island Plan for the Care of Elderly People in Tenerife (Islénior), particularly its goals of promoting autonomy, well-being, and social integration for seniors.