The 9th Annual United Nationalities of Marbella Summit, held on May 20, 2025 at the Harbour restaurant in Marbella and tackled the pressing issues facing elderly expats on the Costa del Sol.
Hosted by Nicole King, the 9th Annual United Nationalities of Marbella Summit event was brought forward from November to May due to the pressing urgency of supporting the vulnerable elderly community on the Costa del Sol.
Nicole ‘summed it up’ at the summit to representatives from Marbella and Mijas Town Halls, alongside Age Concern, Age Care, the Lions of La Cala de Mijas, and British consular officials, discussing solutions for the 60+ expat population.
A key takeaway was the need for better support for elderly residents who prefer staying home in Spain but lack affordable care options. Kara Caradas of Hadas Caradas Charity moved attendees to tears, sharing the loneliness of dementia patients in care homes, often forgotten and left behind by families. The summit also highlighted the toll on carers, stressing the need for affordable in-home nursing to provide relief, and at least a couple of hours for the primary care-giver to have a rest or attend to the things they need to do. A 24-hour weekly break for carers was proposed to improve their mental health status. A sense of ‘community’ is needed to ensure everyone else in the community is cared for.
The event called for a dedicated Spanish-speaking liaison to navigate administrative challenges (especially being insistent with civil servants, something our expat community is not used to) and urged businesses profiting from the elderly to contribute crucial resources. Community engagement was encouraged through initiatives like “adopting an elderly person” and school visits to care homes. The Support in Spain website was endorsed as a central resource for services, with a call to keep it updated.
Watch this space for upcoming initiatives on how you can better help your community directly and ensure a we are all without need in our older years.
