São Paulo State Accuses Rio Preto of Rejecting R$1.1 million Elderly Care Funding

The Government of São Paulo filed a court appeal asserting that the municipality of São José do Rio Preto failed to join a state program that would allocate more than R$1.1 million to build a regional Institutional Long‑Term Care Facility (ILPI) for highly dependent elderly (grade III). The state had classified Rio Preto as a priority municipality and prepared an initial investment of R$1,117,960 per unit plus ongoing monthly funding.

According to the State Prosecutor’s Office, the city did not submit any request or project, leaving the expansion of care beds unaddressed. The appeal argues that the municipality is responsible for the persistent waiting list, misdirecting dozens of elderly patients to the state‑run Hospital‑Lar Nossa Senhora das Graças instead of appropriate long‑term facilities, despite medical assessments showing many did not require hospitalization. The state also cites recent increases in municipal assistance funds and recent investments in regional rehabilitation and long‑term care beds as evidence of available resources.

The State seeks a reversal of a prior judgment that blamed the state for the lack of institutional beds, arguing the omission lies with the municipal administration.