Spain faces rising demand for long-term care professionals

The Association of Dependency Service Companies (AESTE) has launched ‘Cuidar es futuro’ (Caring is the Future), an institutional campaign designed to highlight the role of long-term care professionals in Spain. The initiative aims to bring public attention to the sector as the country faces significant demographic shifts.

Data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) indicates that the proportion of the population aged 65 and older is expected to rise from 21.1% to 30.9% in the coming decades. Currently, over 1.6 million people in Spain are beneficiaries of the System for Autonomy and Care for Dependency. To meet future demand, the Ministry of Social Rights estimates that Spain will need to recruit between 261,400 and 639,400 additional long-term care professionals by 2030.

In Asturias, the ‘Asturias Cuida en Red’ pilot program is addressing these challenges by focusing on support networks for caregivers. Led by social worker Lilian Blanco Menéndez, the project operates in six municipalities to provide tools for both professional and non-professional caregivers, aiming to create safe spaces for managing the emotional and practical complexities of cognitive decline and dependency.