Care in the rural world: an invisible support

In a country that is aging rapidly and in which the exodus of young people is emptying rural areas, the elderly and care-dependent people become, in many cases, the responsibility of family members, mainly women. But how do we care for those around us living in geographically isolated places where access to health and social care services is very complex?

In rural areas, many people shoulder this challenge with no specialist support and without any financial recompense. They are the invisible support that underpins the well-being of many households and communities. But this burden affects their quality of life, limits their chances of entering the workforce and, in the long term, compromises their emotional and physical well-being.

As an Intermediate Body of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), Fundación MAPFRE wants to look after these people who, despite all the difficulties, manage to keep going; we want to let them know that they are not alone. Our goal is to open up their world, to connect their reality with opportunities aimed at making their day-to-day lives easier, incorporating them into the support networks that exist in Spain’s rural areas.

We are carrying out this task hand in hand with the Confederación Autismo España and the Spanish Red Cross, two of the recipients of the 1st call for +Rural Grants. Their projects, +Rural TEA and Vincúlate, are aimed at improving the social support and healthcare of the most vulnerable groups in rural areas.

Today, more than ever, it is time to recognize the people who care despite all the difficulties they face in the towns and villages of our country. Fundación MAPFRE wants them to know that they are part of a network that connects them with the world, working for a better future in which caring also involves being cared for.