Oswaldo Betancort, alongside the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, the Island Vice President, María Jesús Tovar, the Mayor of Teguise, Olivia Duque, and the Councillor for Social Welfare and Inclusion of the Cabildo, Marci Acuña, visited the construction site this morning.
A Pioneering Project for the Elderly
Based on a person-centred care model, the institution led by Oswaldo Betancort has commenced construction of the Socio-Health Centre for the Elderly and Day Care Centre in Tahiche. This pioneering infrastructure had been stalled during the previous administration and is set to represent a paradigm shift in dependency care in the Canary Islands.
The start of construction on the Socio-Health Centre for the Elderly and Day Care Centre in Tahiche, promoted by the Cabildo of Lanzarote, marks a historic milestone this September 2025 for the Island of Care, a management paradigm established by the current insular government.
The institution led by Oswaldo Betancort has managed to revive this project after the stagnation of the previous administration. “Through consistent effort and without fanfare,” notes the insular leader, they are now building a pioneering facility that will transform the care model for dependency in the Canary Islands, focused on Person-Centred Care (PCC).
Oswaldo Betancort, accompanied by President Fernando Clavijo, Vice President María Jesús Tovar, Mayor Olivia Duque, and Councillor Marci Acuña, visited the construction site this morning. “We have rescued the Elderly Residence in Tahiche following years of paralysis and neglect,” Betancort commented, emphasising the “essential” nature of this infrastructure for ensuring the welfare of older and dependent individuals on our island.
Addressing Past Challenges
“The socialist government left us a poisoned legacy; negligence led to missed administrative deadlines and the return of over 13 million euros allocated for socio-health infrastructures, including funds for the Tahiche Residence. All they did was lay a symbolic first stone in 2019, without making any further progress throughout their entire term… Now, as in many other respects, we have had to work hard to counteract the inaction of others,” Betancort emphasised.
President Fernando Clavijo remarked, “We are aware of the challenge posed by providing comprehensive socio-healthcare to the Canary population. This objective requires time and effort; therefore, the Government is already working intensively, in agreement with the Cabildo of Lanzarote, to progressively increase the number of places in socio-health centres for those in need. This new user-centric care model is not only owed to them but also to their families,” he added.
Transforming Care in Lanzarote
Vice President María Jesús Tovar stated that initiating the project “marks a turning point for Lanzarote and La Graciosa. After years of neglect by previous leaders, we are now unlocking a historically demanded project by the citizens, a determined commitment to transforming the island’s socio-health environments, which will have very positive repercussions for our elderly.”
The Sixth Island Residence
The Tahiche Residence will significantly increase the number of places available for individuals in dependency situations, with a high-requirement socio-health centre (75 places) and a day care centre (50 places). “It will feature modern, accessible facilities adapted to the needs of the elderly and their caregivers, in an innovative architectural complex of four interconnected buildings that combine sustainability with Canarian architecture,” detailed Councillor Marci Acuña, who added: “This will be the sixth elderly residence we will have.”
He highlighted the importance of the exponential increase in socio-healthcare places for Lanzarote and La Graciosa: “Upon completion of the works, we will have 125 new places, increasing the island’s total by 25%, thereby achieving a milestone of over a thousand socio-healthcare places offered by the Cabildo. And we will continue to increase this number…”
“With the commencement of this work, the Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa is fulfilling its commitment to provide the island with the necessary resources through the construction of a socio-health centre for those elderly individuals requiring medium to high socio-health needs, using an architectural and functional model adapted to the evolution of the care model for dependency,” he added.
Additionally, the new Residence will provide an economic and social boost thanks to job creation during the construction phase and the future management of the centre.
A New Care Concept
The project embraces a residential model based on living units or “mini residences,” with a maximum capacity of 15 individuals, creating a more intimate and homely environment. This new structure is founded on the person-centred care model, blending private and shared spaces that promote autonomy, independence, and a sense of belonging to a home.
It will feature individual rooms for 65% of the places, each with an adapted bathroom. There will be landscaped patios and terraces ensuring natural ventilation, light, and communal spaces. Additionally, there will be specific areas for physiotherapy, stimulation, social work, and psychology, alongside common services such as a café, hairdressing, chapel, and therapeutic pool.
The diligence of the current government group of the Cabildo of Lanzarote enabled the awarding of the works to SATOCAN S.A. last June, with a budget of over €16 million (including IGIC) sourced from the institution’s own funds, and a completion period of 24 months.
“Lanzarote and La Graciosa are moving towards a socio-healthcare model that prioritises the quality of life and dignity of elderly individuals, solidifying their position as an example of innovation in the Canary Islands,” stated Oswaldo Betancort this morning, also thanking the regional government for finding “valid solutions for an essential project,” and congratulating Councillor Marci Acuña and his team for their perseverance in providing the public services the population deserves.
