First official stone laid for Gran Tarajal Residential Care Home

The Cabildo of Fuerteventura marked Friday, 13 February, with an institutional ceremony to lay the first stone of the future Gran Tarajal Sociosanitary Residence and Day‑Care Centre. The new facility will add 90 sociosanitary places to the island’s care network. Although the ceremony symbolises the official start, construction works have already been underway since the end of 2025.

The project carries an initial budget of €15,387,888 and a twelve‑month execution schedule. Funding is split between the Cabildo of Fuerteventura, which contributes €4,455,710.24 from its own resources, and the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (MRR), which provides €11,130,846 through the Ministry and the Government of the Canary Islands.

“The works are already a reality, thanks to the impetus given from the Cabildo of Fuerteventura and the coordination with the Tuineje City Council, which has allowed unlocking the project,” said Lola García, President of the Island Council. She highlighted the corporation’s commitment to improving care for dependent people and noted that this resource is among the most demanded by users and families.

García also announced that the 2026 target is to reach 442 sociosanitary places across all Cabildo‑managed facilities, as part of an island‑wide strategy to reinforce the care network.

Fernando Clavijo, President of the Government of the Canary Islands, affirmed that the new installation will advance the improvement of dependency care. He recalled that the average waiting time for benefits has dropped by 47 % during the current legislature, falling from 782 days to 411 days—a reduction of 371 days compared with July 2023.

Víctor Alonso, Councillor for Social Action, explained that the Cabildo is promoting a new care model centred on proximity and personalised attention, both in residential centres and in home‑help services and personal‑autonomy programmes.

David Herrera, Mayor of Tuineje, reminded that in 2024 the municipality transferred a 4,701 m² municipal plot in the Valle del Aceitún to the Cabildo, a key step that allowed the project to move forward.

Features of the New Facility

• Sociosanitary Residence: 60 places, operating 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.
• Day‑Care Centre: 30 places for elderly people in dependent situations.

The complex will provide:

• Lodging and maintenance services.
• Medical‑health care.
• Promotion of personal autonomy.
• Occupational therapy and psychological support.
• Family‑respite programmes.
• Leisure and recreational activities.

In line with the island’s broader planning, the Cabildo also intends to create new day‑care centres in every municipality, including projects in Costa Calma (an additional 30 places) and Antigua‑Betancuria. A mental‑health residence and a Personal Autonomy Promotion Service are also slated for future development.