working with the elderley in torrevieja

hi everyone! my family and i are planning a move to torrevieja this year once our home is sold. i work for age concern as a day centre assistant manager and also have a lot of experienca in home care both as amanager and a carer, does anyone know what the oportunities are for the elder generation who may need some help at home or in a day centre setting. i am aware that there is an age concern in torrevieja town centre but im not sure if this is just a shop or a day centre (think its a shop) does anyone know?? if there isnt a need for the job that i do now i may have to look at a career change. any ifo welcome X

Hi - I am moving to the area in May and have had a look at opportunities for that type of work.  I am a Social Worker and have found that, as Karen says and unlike here in the UK, the Spanish still seem to rely heavily on the family to provide support.  There are however a number of Home Care franchises around who are wanting to expand into the Costas to provide care for older ex-pats.  If you don't have the money or the desire to take on a franchise then there will be a need for staff when they do start up.  Or you could set something up yourself but that would require a good knowledge of Spanish business law, I would imagine.

There has been a lot of positve comment about a voluntary organisation called Help on the forum so they may be a good source of information in terms of employment in this field.

I've decided to wait till I get out there before I commit myself to anything - it's really hard to get good information from the web!

Best of luck!

hi everyone thanks for replying,

i have checked out the net...all the time!!! and found some info but not as much as i like to know . claire t dont suppose you know any names of these franchises do you as when im researching i only seem to find one based in costa del sol. i have thought about starting something myself but i think there is only so mush i can do sat in my little office at home in the uk,  does anyone know of any day centre setting establishments in and around torre , i know the spanish look after their own so i am aiming at the uk ex pats as my spanish very little(i am trying though)!! claire t how jelous i am you are moving in may? i wish it was us!! although i know it will be this year as long as our home sells! thanks again to everyone who has replied.x

 I can give you details of help centres so you can ask these if your services are of value to them or if they can put you onto someone as they, surely, WILL know, if anyone does.

what can i say THANK YOU!! these will keep me busy and very quiet for a while x.

mervy what a shame it is but i suppose if im starting a new life a new career wont be so bad! what happens thouh if ex pats become ill and need some extra care at home who looks after them? i know back here in the uk that is where my orgs like the one i work for would help. do the people who need help just struggle or end up going back with family in uk or whereever? so many questions i could go on and on and on........ thank you for replies x

Hi c.jenco - I've had a look at businessesforsale.com for you and there seems to be at least 3 home care companies in Spain - though it does look like they are still only in the Costa del Sol. 

They are Sure Care, Home Instead Senior Care and Care Services International - which seems to be called Asistencia y Salud in Spain.  You can email them from the above website and ask for their brochures.

Mervy - maybe we should all get in touch when we are out there and see what we can achieve together?  I have experience of designing, commissioning and managing care packages as well as counselling, though I don't have the "hands on" care experience you both seem to have. 

I must admit, I quite fancy doing something completely different to Social Work but am aware that jobs are very scarce in Spain so it might be wise to stick to what I know best.  Anyway, I am planning to have the summer off after 30 years of 9 - 5 so by the time you come over c.jenco I might actually know a bit more about local circumstances.

Keep in touch!

Hi.

Its interesting reading everyones comments about nursing homes and help for uk expats. I live inland Malaga area, and like you have a nursing qualification, experience of caring for the eldery and working for social services for the last eleven years with children with learning disabilities and young people in the looked after system. There is nothing like that here at all, Spanish families stick together and look after each other. There is definitely a need for uk expats, I have met a few elderly people who are trying to return to the uk due to illness or becoming frail, they all say that while the hospital care is excellent, there is absoloutely no after care available at all. I should think that something along the lines of the home help system in the uk could work very well. Good luck with your search.

hi babs thank you so much for that reply

its great to hear the different views on this. i still think il have to have a career change! not sure what to but defo not waitress or  bar worker i might have to find myself a millionaire or maybe not!!

Hi.

I have had a complete career change, and am enjoying my new job very much. You just have to look really hard and be prepared to do anything to start with. Our childrens local Spanish school asked any of the English parents last week if they would like a job teaching the younger English children English as they were getting behind with it. If I hadnt already been working, I would have loved to have done that. I am sure you will find something. good luck.

Babs

hi babs well you just gave me my career change(ithink) i have trained here as a teaching assistant and have done placements in my sons school and nursery and really enjoyed it, i know they are doing refresher courses at our local college also so i might take a look. its another road for me to look down i suppose. just need to work harder on my spanish.

thanks again claire

A friend of mine who has a certain command of Spanish, having lived in Spain many years has been teaching Spanish kids English in their schools also adults at a night school. She kept wanting to retire but the school head kept saying stay on stay on which she did but now she's retired at 60+ so I think there's a good chance you might get work doing this type of work.

Perhaps I could ask Sheila how she got into it & report back. She lives in Crevillente up the AP7 from Torrevieja about 40 mins.

hi all, hope you don't mind me joining in this thread, but i too have experience in elderly and learning disabilities and i am hands on at the moment but have also done the admin side, reviews etc. i also was concerned what happens to all the ex pats living out there once they are frail, as i too want to move out there permanently and will be old there too! there must be something already established out there as the english have been going out there for a long time.I did think of starting something myself but don't have the spain knowledge and setting up a business can be risky.  I am still stuck in the uk at the mement and haven't even purchased a property yet but i wanted to be sure i could do the job i love, i really don't want to wait to relocate once i have retired i want to enjoy my life before i get too old( don't mean to offend any elderly people already out there).

Anyway there must be something we can do, i would be happy to work for someones agency giving care/shopping/ etc to the expats in their home, Donna x