Articles

Personal Assistants in Uruguay: Supporting Independent Living for People with High Care Needs
Uruguay’s Personal Assistants Program provides structured home-based support for people with severe dependency, linking public subsidy with personal choice and the promotion of autonomy. This article examines eligibility, funding, the 80-hour support model, individual and cooperative employment arrangements, workforce quality, safeguarding and territorial access, while considering how the program can evolve as Uruguay moves toward a more universal and person-centered care system. Read more...
Assessing Dependency in Uruguay: How Care Needs Are Identified and Support Is Allocated
Uruguay’s care system depends on a structured assessment of dependency to determine who needs support and how different levels of need connect with available services. This article examines the national dependency scale, home-based assessment, functional need, eligibility and territorial delivery, while exploring how Uruguay can make assessment increasingly person-centered, equitable and responsive as the National Care System moves towards wider access. Read more...
From Family Responsibility to a Right to Care: Uruguay’s Changing Social Contract for Long-Term Support
Uruguay’s care reforms challenge the assumption that dependency should be managed primarily within families, positioning care instead as a social right and a shared responsibility. This article examines how that principle changes access, family roles, gender equality, public provision, workforce expectations and accountability, and why translating a right to care into dependable everyday support requires more than formal recognition. Read more...
Population Ageing in Uruguay: Preparing Social Care for a Changing Demographic Future
Uruguay is entering a profound demographic transition as the number and proportion of older people rise while the working-age population eventually contracts. This article examines what population ageing means for long-term care demand, family caregiving, workforce capacity, community services, financing and territorial planning, and why demographic preparation must focus on functional need and independence rather than age alone. Read more...
Uruguay’s National Care Plan 2026–2030: What the Next Phase of Care Reform Means in Practice
Uruguay’s National Care Plan 2026–2030 moves the country’s care agenda from establishing a national system toward widening access, improving quality and strengthening implementation. This article examines what the new phase means for people requiring care, families, workers and public institutions, and why universalisation will depend on service capacity, territorial equity, sustainable funding, stronger information and accountable delivery. Read more...
Uruguay’s Integrated Care System: Turning the Right to Care into Sustainable National Infrastructure
Uruguay has moved care from the margins of family and social policy into a national system built around rights, autonomy and shared responsibility. This article examines how the Sistema Nacional Integrado de Cuidados and the National Care Plan 2026–2030 connect policy, services, workforce, funding, quality and accountability—and why the next phase depends on converting national ambition into consistent, sustainable support in people’s homes and communities. Read more...