REAGIR has said the inauguration of the Santa Clara Social Complex will not meaningfully ease Madeira’s shortage of nursing home places. The party says between 1,200 and 1,250 people are still on waiting lists for a place in a Residential Structure for the Elderly (ERPI). It points out that the new facility has 85 beds, but only 20 are set aside as social care places. Another 15 beds will be used for patients discharged from hospital who are still waiting for placement in other social care facilities. REAGIR argues this shows the problem of delayed hospital discharges is linked to the lack of available social care services and says the Regional Government has relied on “announcements and isolated measures” instead of a full strategy. The party also criticised the provider of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia do Funchal for calling monthly fees of €1,250 to €5,000 “fair,” and questioned whether a facility funded with €13.3 million from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) is fulfilling its social purpose. REAGIR is calling for more investment in nursing homes, home support services, convalescence units and long-term care facilities, saying Madeira needs structural reform to meet the needs of its ageing population.
