Actress Assumpta Serna has publicly denounced the delays and shortcomings of Catalonia's dependency care system, citing a 12-month wait for 64 hours of monthly home care for her 100-year-old mother, who requires 24-hour support.
"It is neither humane nor fair," said Serna, sharing a viral video detailing her family's struggle with the Generalitat de Catalunya's social services. She criticised the bureaucratic hurdles and insufficient provision, stating, "What is happening to us only illustrates how terrible the care for the elderly in Catalonia is at the moment."
Serna filed a formal complaint with the Barcelona Social Services Consortium after her application was resolved in July, more than a year after submission. The approved care amounts to less than three hours per day, despite her mother's constant need. She also highlighted years-long delays in reassessing dependency levels since 2017 and the unavailability of services in August, quipping, "Can you stop dying in August? We're on vacation."
She condemned the system's restrictions on hiring private caregivers, saying families are forced to use Generalitat-recommended agencies that take large commissions and often employ underqualified staff. "They treat elderly people who worked all their lives as a burden," she said.
Call for Systemic Change
"The objective has changed. It's no longer just about my mother. I want to seek solutions for a problem shared by many Catalans and Spaniards."
Serna launched a campaign to collect testimonies and demand increased funding and trained personnel. She revealed that 24-hour home care costs €3,000–€4,000 monthly, while social services provide only €300–€500. A fair subsidy, she argued, would be around €2,000.
Her initial video, posted two days prior, drew widespread attention. On Saturday, she shared a follow-up, thanking supporters and noting that a politician promised to contact her in September. She also said an official with authority over dependency assessments had taken interest in her case.
Government Response and National Context
The Department of Social Rights and Inclusion of the Generalitat stated it has been available to Serna since day one and has now contacted her directly to understand her situation. It explained that national regulations do not generally allow for continuous 24-hour home care.
The Generalitat pointed to the CURA plan, a fast-track initiative to reduce dependency waiting lists, which enables telematic assessments and "express" Individual Care Programmes (PIAs). The department acknowledged families' frustration and said it aims to demonstrate soon that Catalonia's dependency system "has begun a change of cycle."
Nationwide, 255,302 people in Spain were awaiting dependency procedures as of July 2026, according to the State Dependency Observatory. Of these, 108,908 await assessment and 146,394 await services they are entitled to. The observatory reported 15,450 deaths between January and June 2026 while individuals waited for resolution.
Reported by eldiario.es.
