CENIE presents the study “The Right to Care and the Care Economy in Spain”

 

 

A day designed to open an essential conversation about the future of care in a long‑lived society: how to guarantee sufficient, dignified and sustainable support so that longevity can be lived with autonomy, well‑being and rights.

 

The University of Salamanca, through CENIE, will present on Monday, 11 May 2026, from 12:00 to 14:00, at the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, the study “The Right to Care and the Care Economy in Spain”. The event will bring together institutional representatives, international specialists, researchers and voices from the social and cultural spheres to reflect on the role of long‑term care in Spain and across the Iberian space.

 

Longevity and care: an agenda for the future

 

Longevity is one of the greatest collective achievements of our time. But it also raises a decisive question: what conditions must be guaranteed so that it becomes a real opportunity for everyone? The answer requires thinking about health and prevention, but also autonomy, relationships, housing, community, participation and care.

 

CENIE approaches longevity from a broad perspective: as a social, economic and cultural transformation that requires scientific knowledge, innovation, institutional cooperation and transfer to public policy. In this context, long‑term care is neither secondary nor postponable. It is a central pillar for ensuring that long‑lived societies can uphold dignity, independence and well‑being throughout the life course.

 

About the study

 

"The Right to Care and the Care Economy in Spain” proposes a particularly timely approach: considering care simultaneously as a social right and as a strategic dimension of the welfare economy. The report starts from a premise that directly challenges society: caring and being cared for cannot depend solely on family availability, place of residence or individual economic capacity.

 

The study offers a comprehensive reading of the Spanish long‑term care system. It analyses dependency care, the sufficiency and quality of services, territorial differences, gender dimensions, the situation of formal and informal employment, the economic value of invisible care work and the impact of investment in care on the economy and social cohesion.

 

Its value lies in placing the debate where it belongs: not only in the management of benefits and services, but in the architecture of the Welfare State required by a long‑lived society. The research raises questions of public relevance: who provides care, under what conditions, with what support, with what funding, with what quality and with what guarantees for both those who receive care and those who provide it.

 

CENIE aims to contribute through this presentation to a rigorous and open conversation about the future of care, connecting academic evidence, institutional experience and social sensitivity. Because longevity is not measured only in years gained, but in the conditions that allow life to be lived with meaning, security and autonomy.

 

A presentation to activate public debate

 

The event will present the main findings of the study, led by its co‑directors Ignacio Álvarez and Jorge Uxó, and will open a space for dialogue with representatives of Spanish and Portuguese institutions, international organisations and voices from the social and cultural spheres. The goal is to foster a shared reflection on how to move towards a care system that is more co‑responsible, professionalised, community‑based and person‑centred.

 

Within the framework of IBERLONGEVA

 

The presentation takes place within IBERLONGEVA, a cross‑border cooperation project between Spain and Portugal approved under the Interreg VI‑A Spain–Portugal Programme (POCTEP) 2021–2027, and co‑funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). IBERLONGEVA is promoted by the University of Salamanca, through CENIE, with the participation of the University of Vigo and the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança.

 

IBERLONGEVA promotes an Iberian perspective on healthy longevity, with special attention to territories where demographic change poses particularly intense challenges. The project combines research, prevention, technological innovation, artificial intelligence and community participation to advance towards models of care and well‑being promotion that are more personalised, preventive and oriented towards individual autonomy.

 

In this context, the study on the right to care and the care economy adds an essential social, economic and institutional dimension. If IBERLONGEVA works to improve quality of life in long‑lived societies, this research contributes to an inseparable question: how to organise care so that longevity is also fairer, more autonomous and more dignified.

 

Event details

 

Date: Monday, 11 May 2026  
Time: 12:00 – 14:00  
Venue: Círculo de Bellas Artes, Ramón Gómez de la Serna Room  
Address: Calle de Alcalá 42, Madrid