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Avante tackles the collaboration of the public and private sectors in dependency care
Publication date: June 2008
The Dependency Law gives private initiative a key role to as provider of care service through the concertation between accredited centres and services and the public administrations of Autonomous Communities. Different business sectors are finding a place in this new market and demand a clear, stable framework of collaboration with the Administration in order to make the necessary investments. In order to analyse the initial situation and future challenges of greater private involvement in dependency care services, the Edad&Vida Foundation, together with the Generalitat’s Department of Social Action and Citizenship, is holding a workshop in Fira de Barcelona’s Avante show on the 6th of June.
According to the White Paper on Dependency, in Spain there are over 1.2 million people who are unable to perform basic daily activities; the majority of them are elderly or severely disabled. It is estimated that, in 2010, this figure will rise to 3 million given demographic ageing, which increases the need for care and welfare.
In order to guarantee care of dependent people, the Administration will invest over 25,000 million euros up to 2015 in the creation of the Sistema de Autonomía y Atención a la Dependencia – SAAD - (Autonomy and Dependency Care System), half of which will come from the central Government and the other half from the Autonomous Communities. In addition to social benefits, the SAAD will have a major social, economic and labour impact and it is estimated that around 300,000 jobs will have been created in the sector by 2015.
This opens up an important niche for private companies and, according to Higinio Raventós, President of the Edad&Vida Foundation and of Avante’s Organising Committee, “effective cooperation between the public and private sectors will be decisive in guaranteeing the long term sustainability of this system”.
At the workshop in Avante, executives from teleassistance, home help, day centres and homes for the elderly, which will see an increased demand for their services, will give their opinions. The list of speakers includes: Jorge Guarner, President of the Asociación Estatal de Servicios Residenciales para la Tercera Edad –AESTE- (State Association of Residential Services for the Elderly); Rafael Iglesias, Director General of the Amma Group, Domènec Crosas, Director General of Sanitas Residencial, José Ramón Campos, Technical Director of Mapfre Quavitae; Josep Arqués, Director General of Mutuam; Joaquim Serrahima, Director General of Fundació Catalònia.
Representatives from the public administration of various Autonomous Communities and from the Madrid and Barcelona Town Councils will also be participating to explain the purchase models and prospects of dependency care services which will be applied in these autonomous communities and cities. The event will also feature the experiences of cooperation between the public and private sectors in other economic sectors such as the education and hospitals sectors.
Barcelona, June 2008
Attached archives: Workshop: "Collaboration between the public sector and private intiative"
Head of press: Maria Dolors Herranzº
Contact telephoneo: 93 233 25 41
Email address: mdherranz@firabcn.es