Torrevieja Town Council has formalised the new contract for the Municipal Home Care Service (SAD), awarded to Atende Servicios Integrados for 1,936,897 euro including VAT. The provision began this August and will have an initial duration of two years, with the possibility of an extension for another two, which would represent a total service budget of 3,873,794 euro. The winning bid barely reduced the tender price of the competition.
The new contract regularises a provision that, according to the municipal file itself, had been carried out without a contract since 1st November 2024, after the previous one expired on 31st October of that year and following a long tender process, including appeals from companies in the sector, in a precarious situation from an administrative point of view that the municipal press release on the entry into force of the new service does not mention.
The service is aimed at elderly, dependent, or vulnerable people who need support in their home, once social services authorise that the requirements to receive this help are met. Its goal is to facilitate their continued living in their usual environment, maintain the highest possible degree of autonomy, and relieve the burden on their families and caregivers.
The contract does not establish a fixed number of beneficiaries, but rather an annual pool of 37,217 hours of care, expandable with 1,350 free hours. With an average intensity of between 25 and 30 monthly hours per user, the service would allow around 100 to 130 people to be cared for.
The Councillor for Social Welfare, Óscar Urtasun, pointed out that the contract represents a major financial effort to ensure the stability and continuity of a provision he considers a priority within municipal social services. He also defended home care as an essential tool to improve the quality of life of dependent people and offer professional care adapted to each user.
The contract includes domestic tasks, personal support, social care, accompaniment, and educational or rehabilitative actions. Among the provisions are basic cleaning and maintenance of the home, help with personal hygiene, support with mobility inside the home, administration of simple prescribed medication, and accompaniment outside the home for errands, medical appointments, or social integration activities. Care will be organised individually, according to the personal, family, and social situation of each beneficiary and the intensity recognised by the competent administration.
The service will cover both municipal home care and care linked to the Law for the Promotion of Personal Autonomy and Care for People in Situations of Dependency. Residents in Torrevieja with a reasoned resolution from the Town Council, after assessment by the municipal Social Services, will be able to access the service, as well as those who have a recognised situation of dependency by the Generalitat Valenciana. In the latter case, coverage will reach people with grades I, II, or III dependency, in accordance with the hours set in their corresponding Individual Care Programme (PIA).
Urtasun noted that the contract reinforces a provision that not only offers practical help at home, but also makes it possible to combat loneliness, prevent situations of isolation, and give peace of mind to many families.
The contractor’s offer incorporates technical improvements and complementary services at no extra cost to the Town Council or the users. These include 50 annual hours of specialised professional care in each of these areas: Psychology, Physiotherapy, Podiatry, and Hairdressing and Aesthetics. These services seek to complete home care and address needs related to the physical, emotional, and social well-being of the beneficiaries.
The contractor will also provide six portable stairlift chairs to facilitate the entry and exit of people with reduced mobility in homes with architectural barriers.
The Town Council will be able to use the pool of 1,350 additional free hours per year for emergencies, unforeseen needs, or timely extensions of services already granted. The Councillor for Social Welfare highlighted that these improvements will allow for faster action in urgent situations and offer more comprehensive care, especially to people with greater mobility difficulties or who need specialised care.
The contract guarantees the continuity of the current staff through the mandatory subrogation of the personnel assigned to the service. The provision will have a minimum team of 26 home care assistants and two full-time social workers.
The social workers will assume coordination tasks and act as a direct link with the Town Council’s Social Welfare Department. This coordination will allow for the monitoring of users, adjusting the intensity of the service when their needs change, and responding to potential incidents.
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