This new statistical tool, named HOBEZAIN, will enable the collection of homogeneous, reliable, and comparable information on quality indicators in residential centers. The initiative will be operational from early October 2026, establishing a common foundation for the continuous improvement of the residential system.
Nerea Melgosa, Minister of Social Inclusion, Youth and Demographic Challenge, emphasized that this statistic "will serve to help improve." "We want to measure better to care better. We want to have homogeneous, reliable, and comparable data that allows us to learn, correct, reinforce good practices, and continue advancing in the quality of care received by older adults," she stated.
The initiative stems from the work developed since 2019 by the Social Policies Department of the Provincial Council of Álava, which launched a quality indicators project for elder care centers in the territory, culminating in an initial set of 10 indicators and data collection from 40 centers.
Gorka Urtaran, Provincial Deputy for Social Policies, highlighted Álava's progress in evaluating and improving residential quality. He recalled that the project "is born from the knowledge of the sector itself, from the participation of the centers, and from the shared will to improve the care received by older adults".
The HOBEZAIN tool will gather information on the characteristics of each residential center, data linked to staff, and the profile and support needs of residents. Based on this information, the system will generate comparable indicators by Historical Territory and a specific "snapshot" for each center, identifying strengths and areas for improvement.
As an official statistical survey, participation will be mandatory under the Basque Statistical Plan Law 2023-2026. All provided information will be protected by statistical secrecy and cannot be used or disseminated identifying the residential centers. Each center will only be able to access its own data and aggregated indicators.
Minister Melgosa stressed that "good public policy needs good data, but also a responsible reading of that data." "This statistic will allow us to speak the same language, have a common analysis base, and move towards a more transparent, solid residential system focused on the well-being of individuals," she indicated.
The objective of this statistical operation is to contribute to the continuous improvement of the Basque social services system, facilitate the monitoring of key indicators, and enable aggregated analysis of results, ultimately aiming to enhance the quality of care and the quality of life for older adults living in residential centers.
