An elderly couple walks through a park. (Infobae)
Currently, there are 200,000 UK citizens over 65 years of age who live somewhere in the European Union. Most of them come to Spainin search of a higher quality of life, which is equivalent to a better climate and a series of services and resources at a much lower price than what they find in their native country. A reality that is increasing, according to official data from the British National Statistics Institute, and that apparently is quite popular: in the last twenty years, and especially after Brexit, the number of retirees from there in Spain has increased. doubled to exceed the figure of the 100.000.
However, despite how good an idea it may seem, this ‘silver’ migration It also presents a series of less obvious challenges, which little by little are coming to light. In an extensive report published by the media iNewsnumerous testimonies from family members appear explaining how this promising trip to southern Europe has become a project that It not only affects the well-being of the elderly and their loved ones, but also puts their lives at risk.
A very clear case is that of Jeana British woman who, in her early 50s, decided to move to a town near Malaga. “At that time, my mother had never been to Spain, but a friend told her she would love it,” says her daughter. Alex to the British environment. “I didn’t even speak the language.”something that did not prevent her from deciding to come to Spain, motivated in large part by how difficult – economically speaking – it was for her to live in her country as an elderly single woman.
The arrival was very positive: she integrated perfectly and soon found herself, although far from her children, in good company. Everything went wrong, however, when after almost 20 years began to show symptoms of dementia. Problems with technology, memory lapses and general confusion. It seemed to indicate that Jean had begun to develop this common problem in older people… only, until now, They have not been able to confirm the diagnosis.
In addition to the long waiting times to be treated by the Spanish public health system, we must add the language barrier: “My mother only learned what I call survival spanish”says the daughter. Furthermore, social benefits in Spain are very different from those in the United Kingdom. In our country, care for the elderly by the State is less developed, given that It is the family that usually takes charge of care. “We have some social services, but it is difficult to be clear if they will work,” he says.
Alex pays caregivers to visit her twice a day, but it is impossible for her to receive short-term state aid, since The bureaucratic process can take up to two years to complete. She also cannot take care of her mother, since among other things, she has to take care of her two teenage children. He has increased his visits to Spain, and has tried to convince Jean to return. “He doesn’t want to”he summarizes, among other things because his mother feels that this is her home now, “but there will come a time when that will no longer be possible.”
But perhaps the most tragic case is the one that tells Judith. His parents, 75 years old, They moved to Alicante twenty years agofor which they sold their house. “We were all a little worried that it might not be the best decision but, like many people, “It was a financial decision.”. With the pension it was very difficult for them to live in the United Kingdom, so they moved to Spain, without thinking about the dangers to which they were exposed.
First came her mother’s breast cancer, for which she received treatment. Meanwhile, however, the father was admitted to a hospital and did not come out again: he died at the age of 82, seven after moving away. “We could never really understand what the doctors said or what the death certificate said”. Things went even further, when they saw that, contrary to what is usually done in their native country, they were going to bury their father as quickly as possible. Three days, specifically, a time in which no family member seemed to be able to attend his funeral.
Due to the bureaucratic procedures after the death, mother’s bank account frozenwhich was shared with the father, which aggravated the problems of the mother, who was still undergoing treatment. She died suddenly, when they had not yet found someone who could accompany her. What had been the dream of his parents, It turned into a nightmare for the daughter. “If things had been planned in advance, they would have thought more about the risks that were waiting for them. But who wants to do that when embarking on a new adventure?”
In iNews also contact Steve Burgessa man who belongs to a non-profit organization –Age in Spain– in charge of helping English-speaking people and their families when they come to Spain. Regarding language barriers, where there is also a lot of medical vocabulary on these topics, he recognizes that for older people “It can be overwhelming, even for those who have a good command of Spanish”. Likewise, he believes that “public social assistance is usually available only in Spanish-speaking centers and “The places in these centers are very limited.”
As a result of this, Burgess insists on the need that if someone older wants to move to Spain, You must do it with all the information. Perhaps the first step is to recognize that your relative youth and health status will not remain that way indefinitely. “They are perfectly healthy and they buy a beautiful house in the mountains and life is fabulous for or 15 years, But then old age comes.”he warns.
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