María Adame, an experienced home care auxiliary, says she is tired of being mistaken for a cleaner. Her frustration is shared by colleagues across Spain, where stereotypes and family expectations can blur the boundaries of professional care work.
Spain’s dependency system supports a large population. The Instituto de Mayores y Servicios Sociales (IMSERSO) reported 1,573,029 people receiving benefits or services as of 31 December 2023. Its statistics distinguish people with an administrative dependency determination from the benefits and services assigned to them, so the figures measure different aspects of demand and provision. Sector estimates put the workforce at more than half a million, around 80% of them women, although the precise total depends on which public, contracted and private workers are counted.
Misconceptions and Prejudice
Despite the scale and importance of their work, auxiliaries like María say they are still too often treated as domestic help rather than care professionals. “We are not cleaners,” María insists. “We are home care auxiliaries, with responsibilities and tasks defined by law and by care plans approved by social services.” She says workers still hear dismissive comments, as if they were “servants without training or rights.” The job involves direct support for people with differing levels of dependency and calls for practical skill and emotional ability to recover.
What Home Care Really Involves
Home care supports a person’s daily life and autonomy; it is not an unrestricted housekeeping service. Auxiliaries may help with daily routines, personal care, companionship and household activities tied to the dependent person’s needs. Spain’s Law 39/2006, of 14 December, establishes the national dependency structure and links support to an individualized care programme. Regional and local rules, service specifications, collective agreements and the individual plan shape the precise duties. No single nationwide task list covers every home-help service.
That structure also explains why care-related household activity differs from a general cleaning service. Limited domestic tasks may be included when they support the dependent person’s everyday functioning, but a family’s request alone does not expand the scope of a publicly commissioned service. IMSERSO records home-based support alongside other services, including teleassistance, day centres and residential care, and distinguishes services from financial benefits.
María is clear about the limits: “We can clean the bathroom after use, tidy the kitchen if it's been used, or make the bed as part of daily care. This is called functional cleaning and is regulated.” Deep cleaning the entire house or taking on any task at a family’s request, but, is not automatically part of the job. Whether an activity is included depends on the relevant service rules, care plan and employer’s instructions.
Regulated Tasks and Boundaries
Other tasks, such as shopping, picking up prescriptions, accompanying clients to medical appointments or going for walks, depend on the person’s assessed needs and service plan, as well as applicable regional or local rules. They are not open-ended obligations: the plan and service specification define the support and its objectives.
María argues that setting boundaries defends labour rights and the integrity of the profession; it is not shirking responsibility. Wearing a uniform reflects hygiene and professionalism, not an attempt to pass as a nurse. “Having social and health training doesn't make us doctors, but it doesn't make us 'girls for everything' either,” she says.
Fighting for Recognition
Many auxiliaries report pressure to take on extra duties, disrespect and physical and emotional strain that often goes unrecognized. “We're not lazy, we're not trying to get paid for nothing, and we don't refuse to care,” María emphasizes. They reject unreasonable demands and the persistent undervaluing of a role basic to Spain’s care infrastructure.
For families who expect someone to clean the entire house, run unlimited errands and be on call for any task, María’s message is blunt: they are not looking for home care; they are seeking a different service altogether.
This struggle for recognition echoes broader debates about the value and visibility of care work in Spain. As demand for home-based support grows, the distinction between care-related household assistance and general cleaning remains impressive for workers and families alike. The issue of regulated care roles also arises in other contexts, including the ongoing discussion about disability pensions for chronic conditions, as highlighted in recent coverage of Spain's disability pension policies.
