Closure of Malaga-based private nursing home forces 30 families to find urgent solution

"It was over the phone. Not a single email, letter or anything in writing. Even though it's a private care home, you don't treat elderly and vulnerable people like this. Given the current situation with care homes and the extremely high demand for places, this sort of thing should be given plenty of notice, not a notice on the 19th saying they have to leave by the 31st come what may," a relative of one of the residents told Sur.

Caren is a peaceful villa, surrounded by nature, with gorgeous views. Residents have no complaints about the service: quite the opposite, in fact. Both those who have contacted Sur to express their concern about the imminent closure of the centre and online reviews agree on the high standard of care.

Caren is entirely privately run and has no agreements with the Andalusian regional government. The closure is due to a lack of agreement between the property's heirs.

Management has given the relatives of residents a little more time to find an alternative, as the home will close on 16 November rather than on 31 October.

"They have been provided with a list of care homes across the whole of Malaga province," manager Enrique Quiles said in an email.

Another relative who spoke to Sur criticised the lack of notice. "They have no humanity. This isn't something that happens overnight. If they'd given us notice in September, we would have left sooner and they would have lost almost all their clients. What's more, if they'd told us before the 15th, they would have had to refund half a month's fee. It's very difficult to find places, even in the private sector," she said.

Read dedicated local reporting for Malaga city