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Unauthorised British Care Home Exposed in Spain After Elderly Woman Found in Critical Condition
An unlicensed care home, allegedly operated by British individuals in Spain’s Costa Blanca region, has been uncovered following the discovery of an elderly British woman in dire circumstances. The woman was found in a state described as ‘on the verge of a coma’ amid squalid surroundings, highlighting concerns about elderly care standards in unregulated facilities in the Murcia region.
Discovery in La Manchica Reveals Unlicensed Operation
The disturbing case, located in the village of La Manchica within the region of Murcia, unveiled the presence of an unauthorised care home. According to an investigation by Spanish news source El Diario, this establishment purportedly functioned under the guise of a rural guest house, masking its true purpose.
Elderly Woman Found in Critical State
On March 16th, the 84-year-old British woman was reportedly urgently transported to a hospital. She was discovered in a bedroom within ‘Pension Hakuna Matata-Rural Guest House’, suffering from severe dehydration and kidney failure.
Emergency responders found her in a room described as filthy, within a remote farmhouse allegedly filled with animal excrement, urine, and refuse. Medical personnel characterized her condition as being ‘on the verge of a coma’.
Furthermore, the elderly woman was emaciated and exhibited multiple infected wounds, indicating potential neglect.
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‘Casa Care’: Unlicensed Care Home Operating Under Guise
A British couple owns the farmhouse, having acquired the property along with a bar in 2018. However, local residents and social media records suggest that the farmhouse has been functioning as an unauthorised care home under the name ‘Casa Care’.
The unlicensed facility, lacking the necessary regional permits according to the Department of Social Policy of the Region of Murcia, advertises itself as a ‘senior citizen residence and assisted living’. It promotes services offering ‘care service for you and your loved ones’, misleadingly suggesting legitimate elder care services.
An unauthorised British-run care home in Spain ‘s Costa Blanca has been exposed after an elderly UK woman was found ‘on the verge of a coma’
One member of staff at the Fuente Alamo Emergency Room described the property as a very ‘strange place’ that lacks proper sanitation
Claims of Closure Contradicted by Evidence
Despite the owners’ declarations to Spanish media asserting that the residence ‘closed more than 10 years ago’, the now-deleted ‘Casa Care’ Facebook profile presented images posted throughout 2023 and 2024. These images depicted numerous elderly individuals residing at the farmhouse, directly contradicting closure claims.
Additionally, the contact phone number listed for ‘Casa Care’ was identical to the reservation number for the Hakuna Matata bar, further suggesting a continued operation.
Emergency Services’ Repeated Visits and Concerns
Emergency personnel are reportedly familiar with the farmhouse, having been summoned to the location on numerous occasions over the years to attend to elderly British residents.
A staff member from the Fuente Alamo Emergency Room described the property as a ‘very strange place’ with a clear absence of proper sanitation, raising alarms among medical professionals.
Other emergency staff members have reported observing animals inside the living areas of the home, adding to concerns about hygiene and resident welfare.
Eyewitness Accounts of Filthy Conditions and Neglect
One nurse, requesting anonymity, told El Diario, ‘Every time we go and enter the house, the conditions are disgusting. Everything is filthy.’
This nurse further elaborated, ‘They even have goats inside, dozens of cats and dogs’, painting a picture of unsanitary living conditions within the alleged unauthorised care home.
Emergency workers are familiar with the farmhouse, having been called to the property many times over the years to treat elderly Brits
‘Neglected’ Residents and Suspicious Documentation
The nurse continued, ‘We’ve been there many times in recent years to care for elderly foreigners. Every time they call us from there, we think: how tiresome, let’s see what we’ll find today. The elderly people who need our care are very neglected, but the owners tell us it’s a rural inn. They tell us they’re their guests.’
Suspicions intensified when paramedics attending to the seriously ill elderly woman last month inquired about her medical background. The owner reportedly produced a folder containing comprehensive personal information, raising red flags.
An emergency worker questioned, ‘What kind of hotel or bar has all that documentation? Her medical history, her prescriptions, her health documents?’
The staff member concluded, ‘That wasn’t a rural house or a hostel or anything. It was a disgusting room, and inside we saw an elderly woman who was already missing a kidney, completely neglected, unable to even get an IV because of her dehydration. She was on the verge of a coma.’
Local Suspicions and Lack of Official Action
Neighbours in La Manchica have long held suspicions about the operations at the farmhouse, describing it as a ‘pretty strange place’.
The recent hospitalization has brought into sharp focus the apparent inaction by relevant authorities in addressing the situation over time.
Reports indicate that a nurse contacted the Guardia Civil following the recent incident, but was informed that police intervention required a formal complaint, highlighting bureaucratic hurdles.
In 2020, Cartagena City Council’s Social Services and local police conducted an inspection of the farmhouse. However, El Diario reports that the outcome of this procedure remains unclear, as no further municipal action was reportedly requested subsequently.
MailOnline has reportedly contacted the owners for their response to these allegations.