Fuerteventura Council begins repaying southern debt with the Gran Tarajal care home

The Cabildo of Fuerteventura placed the first stone of the Gran Tarajal Socio‑Health Residence on Friday. The new facility will add 90 socio‑health places to the island’s capacity. The project is budgeted at €15,387,888 and is slated for completion within twelve months.

“The island corporation is committed to improving care for those who need it most,” said island president Lola García during the ceremony.
“Within this line of work, the Gran Tarajal Residence is one of the historically most demanded resources by users and families. It will increase socio‑health places by 90 and also add 12 family‑respite places.”

Project Overview

• Location: 4,701 m² parcel in the Valle del Aceitún, Tuineje.
• Components:
  • Socio‑Health Residence: 60 permanent beds, 24‑hour care, year‑round operation.
  • Day‑Care Centre: 30 places for dependent seniors.
• Services to be offered:
  • Continuous medical‑sanitary care, personal autonomy promotion, occupational therapy, psychological support, family‑respite program, leisure and free‑time activities, plus full board and lodging.

Lola García emphasized that the works are already a reality thanks to the Cabildo’s drive and coordination with the Tuineje Town Hall, which unlocked the project. She added that the Cabildo aims to raise the total number of socio‑health places across all municipalities to 442 by 2026.

Government Support

Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo highlighted the strategic importance of the new centre for the regional goal of improving care for dependent populations island‑wide.

“We have already reduced the average waiting time for benefits by 47 %. During this legislature, the wait to enter the Dependency System fell from 782 days to 411 days – a reduction of 371 days, or just over a year, compared with July 2023.”

Clavijo also announced that the regional government will modify the FDCAN fund to allocate a portion of its resources to finance infrastructure and new socio‑health places under the third socio‑health infrastructure plan being prepared with the island councils.

Inter‑administrative Collaboration

The project is co‑financed by:

• Cabildo of Fuerteventura: €4,455,710.24 (own funds)
• EU Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (MRR) through the Canary Islands Ministry and Government: €11,130,846

Social Action Counselor Víctor Alonso opened his speech apologizing to southern residents for years of delay and outlined the new proximity‑care model that combines residential centres, home‑help services, and personal autonomy programmes. He stressed that recent studies “ground the lines of action, leading to a new philosophy focused on the person and community‑based care, encouraging family participation and improving quality of life.”

Local Commitment

Tuineje Mayor David Herrera celebrated the start of the work, noting that in 2024 the town council transferred the 4,701 m² municipal plot in El Aceitún to the Cabildo, turning the Gran Tarajal Residence from a paper project into a tangible reality.

“The goal is clear: to move this project from the drawing board to a concrete facility that will serve our community very soon. Today we are laying the first stone.”

Gran Tarajal Residence Details

The future residence will host two complementary centres on the 4,701 m² site:

• Socio‑Health Residence (60 beds): 24‑hour, year‑round residential care.
• Day‑Care Centre (30 places): Daytime support for dependent seniors.

Both will provide individualized care, family‑oriented activities, permanent medical‑sanitary assistance, autonomy‑promotion services, psychological support, and a family‑respite programme, among many other services.

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The Cabildo of Fuerteventura’s investment marks a significant step toward meeting the long‑standing demand for senior care on the island and demonstrates a coordinated effort between regional and local authorities to improve social services.