New elderly care centres in Bulgaria will meet higher standards of care

By the end of the summer, 80 elderly care centres across Bulgaria, renovated with funding from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, are expected to be completed. This was announced by Minister of Labour and Social Policy Natalia Efremova during the opening of a family-type accommodation centre for elderly people in the village of Asparuhovo, in the Varna region.

The issue of elderly care is particularly sensitive for Bulgarian society. Bulgaria is among the European countries with the fastest-ageing populations, and over the past year public attention has been drawn to a number of unlicensed care homes where authorities uncovered serious violations and inhumane living conditions. According to data from the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, inspections carried out in 2025 revealed dozens of illegal facilities, from which hundreds of elderly people were removed.

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According to Minister Efremova, the newly opened centre in Asparuhovo demonstrates that social services can be provided in a way that preserves human dignity and ensures a good quality of life. She stressed that all new centres scheduled to open will comply with modern standards of care.

The renovation of the building in Asparuhovo was financed from the state budget. Four additional social care facilities across the country will be upgraded under the same model.

The centre is intended to provide long-term care for elderly people without physical disabilities, one of the most sought-after social services in Bulgaria. It has a capacity of 40 residents and offers 25 rooms with private bathrooms, a modern kitchen and dining area. Residents will be cared for by a team of specialists, including a nurse, a social worker and care assistants.

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In recent months, the state has strengthened oversight of social services for elderly people. In the first five months of 2025 alone, more than 500 inspections were carried out at care homes and social care institutions, while authorities also prepared legislative amendments aimed at preventing the illegal provision of such services.

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Against this backdrop, the opening of new centres and the modernisation of existing facilities are seen as an important step toward building a more accessible and higher-quality system of care for elderly people in Bulgaria.

Edited by E. Karkalanova