By Alexia Kalaitzi for Kathimerini
Illegal, unlicensed eldercare facilities operating in apartments and hotels across Greece are exposing a deepening crisis in long-term care for the elderly, authorities say.
The latest case – a foul-smelling Athens apartment where malnourished elderly residents showed visible signs of fear and neglect – followed a similar raid days earlier in Rethymno, Crete. Experts warn these cases represent only the tip of the iceberg.
Greece has roughly 16,500 eldercare beds for a population in which 23% are over 65 – the second-lowest share in the EU. Licensed facilities charge €1,000-2,000 monthly, pushing families toward cheaper illegal alternatives. Public facilities are virtually nonexistent.
“These phenomena are the result of an absent long-term care system,” said Maria Karagiannidou, a researcher at the London School of Economics’ Care Policy and Evaluation Center, “and will grow if nothing changes.”
Enforcement is woefully undermanned. The Attica Regional Authority, for example, has just 61 social inspectors who oversee 1,544 facilities of all kinds.
