Almost 180,000 (179,244) people are waiting to receive dependency care, 21,008 less than in 2022, and 40,447 died waiting in the last year, according to the XXIV Opinion of the State Dependency Observatory, prepared by the Association of Directors and Social Services Managers. In addition, he warns that at last year’s pace it would take 8.5 years to achieve full attention.
According to the document consulted by Europa Press, there are 117,181 people who are pending evaluation, 14,623 less than a year ago. With this, the lack of attention reaches 296,431 people, 36,671 less than in 2022.
Furthermore, it adds that 46.2% of neglected people (82,817) are dependent with Grades III or II, that is, they have extensive and continuous support needs.
Likewise, it shows that the average processing time for a file is 324 days, although in four communities it exceeds 12 months (Canary Islands, Andalusia, Murcia and Galicia). Only five territories are below or close to the six months established by the Law as the deadline for this processing: the communities of the Basque Country, Castilla y León, Navarra, Cantabria and Ceuta.
During the period between December 2022 and November 2023, 40,447 people died on the dependency waiting list, 18,454 people pending resolution of the degree of dependency and 21,993 without having been able to exercise their rights derived from the condition of a person in a situation of dependency. dependence. The Association of Directors and Managers of Social Services warns that this means that more than 111 dependent people die daily without having received benefits or services.
Likewise, the report specifies that during the period between December 2022 and November 2023, 220,100 deceased people with a request for dependency were registered in the System for Autonomy and Dependency Care. Of the 220,100 people who died, 79.04% were over 80 years old, that is, 173,959 people.
In any case, it states that in the third year of deployment of the Shock Plan for the agency, 94,429 more people have been treated than in 2022, which means 287,636 people treated after the deployment of the shock plan.
On the other hand, the authors of the study point out that financial benefits for family care have an average monthly amount of 240.17 euros (currently received by 558,234 people). By grade, these amounts are, on average, €157.9/month for Grade I; €265.2/month for Grade II and €369.6/month for Grade III. All this, again, with important differences between territories.
Likewise, they add that home help has average hourly intensities of 33.8 hours per month, by grade 15.8 hours per month for Grade I; 38 hours per month for Grade II and 57.9 hours per month for highly dependent people. For the latter, they point out that it means two and a half hours a day from Monday to Friday, which they consider “clearly insufficient.” “These are people who need support permanently,” they add.
73% OF THE CAREGIVERS OF A FAMILY MEMBER ARE WOMEN
Regarding the profile of the family caregiver, it explains that 73% are women and 27% men, 28.4% are between 16 and 49 years old, 46.9% are between 50 and 66 years old, 17.7% are between 67 and 79 years old, 6.2% from 80 to 89 years old and 0.9% 90 years old or older. On the other hand, it points out that 34.4% are children, 24.3% are mothers, 20.1% are spouses, 4.4% are siblings, 3.3% are fathers, 1.7% are parents. % son/daughter-in-law, 1.8% grandson/daughter, 1.4% partner and 8.5% other people.
In this sense, it adds that only 77,230 people (88% women) are registered in the special agreement for non-professional caregivers of people in a situation of dependency of Social Security, which represents 14.29% of the total caregivers.
The report also states that there have been nine Communities that have decreased spending on care for people in a situation of dependency in 2022 compared to 2021: Catalonia, Cantabria, Asturias, Valencian Community, Andalusia, Extremadura, Madrid, Castilla y León and Murcia .
Specifically, it indicates that the direct cost of the benefits and services delivered during 2023 amounts to 10,446 million euros. Of these, 8,312 million were assumed by the Public Administrations and the rest (2,134 million) was contributed by users in the form of a regulated co-payment (20.4%). Of the direct public spending on dependency in 2023, the General State Administration supported 39.6% and the Autonomous Communities the remaining 60.4%.
Likewise, it emphasizes that the Government of Spain has complied with the seventh Final Provision of Law 36/2011, of October 10, regulating social jurisdiction, making it possible for judicialized matters regarding dependency to be transferred to the Social order.
However, it indicates that the Shock Plan for dependency has not met the objective of establishing telecare as a subjective right from which every person with a recognized degree of dependency who lives at home will benefit. In this sense, it states that 64.2% of the people cared for in their homes do not have this service.
Other unmet objectives of the plan ensure that one was the improvement of the benefits and intensities of the services and the other to significantly improve the intensity of the Home Help Service. Furthermore, it denounces that the negative gender impact remains unevaluated.
