The Rey Ardid Foundation brought together 300 professionals at its III Specialist Care Conference to discuss the future of the geriatric sector.
The event, held in Zaragoza on September 30, 2025, coincided with the commemoration of the International Day of Older Persons and focused on three key areas: dignity in care, Alzheimer’s disease, and the inclusion of older people.
The conference, organized in collaboration with the San Valero Group, emphasized three major issues that will shape the future of the sector: dignified and restraint-free care, the role of the environment in the lives of individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and the value of aging in society, highlighting the importance of inclusion and the active participation of older people.
Alfonso Vicente, a representative of the organization, explained that «the main objective of these conferences is to learn. We gather specialists from the sector and take note of everything to put it into practice and continue improving.»
The inauguration was led by Pilar Rodríguez, president of the Pilares Foundation and a reference in the model of Comprehensive and Person-Centered Care (AICP). Rodríguez emphasized the importance of having «a quality reference system that allows us to measure and analyze results» and warned about the challenges of implementing this model: «The implementation of person-centered care takes time. From our experience, many changes are cosmetic and harm the model. Changing the model is very difficult, and as it is difficult, it requires time. It cannot be done in a year.»
Participation of Specialists
Throughout the day, various specialists participated, including Jorge Oliva from the San Juan de Dios Hospital, Paula Álvarez from the Rey Ardid Rosales Residence, Andrea Pabán from the Casa Aísa Day Center, architects Irene González and Lucía C. Pérez from the Built4Life Lab, Javier Hernández, former deputy ombudsman of Aragon, María José López from HelpAge International Spain, and María Ángeles Abad from COAPEMA. The event was moderated by journalist Vita Ventura.
Consolidation of the Annual Meeting
With this third edition, the Rey Ardid Foundation consolidates an annual space for debate and awareness on care, reinforcing its commitment to dignity, inclusion, and innovation in the care of older people. The meeting brought together professionals in the sector, social entities, and interested citizens to share experiences, success stories, and reflections on the challenges facing the care of older people in the context of an aging population.
