Independent journalist José Luis Tan Estrada has shed light on the dire state of the Camagüey Nursing Home through a video tagged #TanteandoCuba. The footage reveals a facility in decay, located on Avenida Finlay, with crumbling wooden floors, dilapidated walls, and completely empty interiors.
The 21-second clip is accompanied by the text "Destroyed and abandoned nursing home in Camagüey," and Tan Estrada succinctly describes the scenario as "depressing."
Additionally, the organization ObservaCuba released current images of the same establishment, highlighting unsanitary conditions: filthy beds and surroundings, with no change of linen or proper cleaning, putting residents at risk of infections.
The account MVallejoTV also circulated the footage, calling it "a harsh reality," portraying the home as a place of "neglect, loneliness, and uncertainty."
Ongoing Crisis in Elderly Care
This report is not an isolated incident. Back in October 2025, Tan Estrada reported on the neglect of two elderly individuals at the Manuel Ascunce Domenech Provincial Hospital in Camagüey, who were left in the Medicine Ward without receiving basic medical care, "covered in feces."
In August 2025, a report unveiled "inhumane" conditions at a Social Protection Center in Jagüey Grande, Matanzas, with peeling walls, untidy mattresses, and no permanent medical staff.
A similar case arose in September 2025, when a former student discovered his 79-year-old chemistry teacher sleeping on the streets in Santiago de Cuba, another sign of a collapsing elderly care system.
Economic Strain and Government Inaction
In June 2024, a shocking case emerged in Granma where an elderly man, living in subhuman and malnourished conditions, was denied entry to a nursing home.
The economic situation exacerbates the problem. Tan Estrada has documented rampant inflation in Camagüey, where a malt beverage costs 325 pesos, while a Cuban doctor's hourly wage is merely 29 pesos.
As of 2025, over 310,000 people in Cuba are living in poverty or social vulnerability, in one of the oldest populations in Latin America.
The 2020 Cuban regulations formally acknowledge the necessity of repairing and maintaining these facilities, indicating a structural issue recognized by authorities, yet no effective measures have been implemented.
Tan Estrada blames the crisis on "the direct result of 60 years of a model that destroyed production and the food industry, turning people into beggars in their own land."
Understanding the Crisis in Cuban Elderly Care
What conditions are reported at the Camagüey Nursing Home?
The facility is reported to have deteriorating wooden floors, ruined walls, and a completely empty interior, with unsanitary conditions exposing residents to health risks.
How does the economic situation affect elderly care in Cuba?
The economic hardships, including rampant inflation and low wages, exacerbate the crisis in elderly care, making it difficult to maintain facilities and provide adequate services.
What has been the government's response to the nursing home conditions?
Despite regulations acknowledging the need for facility repairs, the government has failed to implement effective measures to address the structural issues in elderly care.