Welcome

Dear colleagues,

Welcome to the XIV Lares European Congress, committed to the future of care. This time we became virtual, bound by this terrible COVID-19 epidemi. However, we have manage to maintain the usual essence of the Lares Congresses:

Know what's new in Lares' activity: care for the elderly, in a situation of disability and risk of social exclusion.

Share with society who we are, think and do;

Enrich reflection on the present and the future, with the presence of representative figures of civil society and the profession, both nationally and internationally, based on the Europeanist vocation of our organization.

That the care of the elderly in solitude or social exclusion is a pending challenge was known before this epidemic; so were other issues such as:

That the health sector had been developing an inadequate role in the care of people in dependence in residential centres or at home.
That residential centers should be as close as possible to a home and that an inclusive and community key must be worked on, with a new paradigm.
That we are far from having a good model of care in the home and residential sphere.
That an agreement is needed for the proper financing of the dependency system.

Looks like we've discovered our weaknesses now, that what we were doing wasn't enough. In reality, the only thing that has changed is that we are now dealing with a public and published issue, at the cost of a great misfortune that has shown an even worse crisis than the health or economic crisis: a values crisis.

In the Long-Term Care in Europe in 2030 manual, published by the European Ageing Network, of which Lares is partner, we find the keys to understand the basis of many of these changes.

The future of long-term care is our own future as a society. We are a society to protect and take care of ourselves. If this fails, everything fails. We live giving our back to reality, not wanting to recognize it.

The demographic and social challenge is undoubted. And in between we find ourselves in need of rebuilding our values. The technical and technological challenges are there; accurate knowledge for a better care as well.

This Congress puts this at your disposal, along with the possibility of accessing virtual stands of service supliers. Whatever your role is within a residential center, we think you'll find within the program activities of your interest.

Whatever the response of the administrations to the economic and political challenge, Lares is committed to the future of care serving to about 10,000 people, that the public social system cannot meet and prevailing social efficiency over any other objective.

Ten international speakers and twenty national speakers, and a Scientific Committee with almost thirty civil society representatives, the sector, the institutional field and Lares itself, makes possible this great event. We cannot forget the Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare itself, who with the funding of the 0.7% grants has allowed free access to Lares members, and to anyone who wants to be involved that wants to register and has financial problems.

We would also like to thank the European Ageing Network (EAN) for its involvement and collaboration. Also, for its institutional support, to the Global Aging Network and the European Social Network. Nor we can forget the European Federation of Social Employers, the Castile and Leon Government and so many people and entities who have supported us on our way to get here.

If you're interested in long-term care or want to improve your everyday work, this is your Congress. If you're part of the government or member of any entity in the social economy and you are in need keys to your planning, save a few hours these days at the congress. If you are looking for a space to interact and find synergies of what must join us, care passion and compassion, THIS IS YOUR CONGRESS.

Together, WE MULTIPLY