In brief
Bulgarian Labour Minister Natalia Efremova said on 13 November 2026 that the government will establish integrated health and social residential care services for 43 elderly residents in the Montana Region. €7 million from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan will fund construction and equipment, with all facilities due to open by 1 January 2035. Existing homes are supplemented and home‑based assistance expanded.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Labour and Social Policy announced today that three new integrated health and social residential care services will open for 43 elderly residents in the Montana Region, citing plans during parliamentary question time on 13 November 2026.
In the municipalities of Lom, Montana and Chiprovtsi the new facilities will each house 12, 23 and eight residents respectively, according to Minister Natalia Efremova. The proposal follows the national aim to expand care for elderly people who cannot care for themselves and need ongoing medical attention.
Under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) the state has earmarked €7 million for the Montana Region alone, with a total national allocation of €188 million to upgrade municipally owned care homes to meet quality standards for residential care. The funding will cover construction and full equipment of the new sites.
The region currently hosts three existing elderly homes that serve a further 229 residents. The new facilities will therefore increase regional capacity by more than 18%, fitting into the National Map of Social Services’ objective to provide care to 121 elderly residents of retirement age across Montana.
All integrated services listed in the National Map are scheduled to be operational by 1 January 2035, Efremova said. The municipalities of Montana and Chiprovtsi have already submitted project proposals under the “Support for Integrated Urban Development in 40 Urban Municipalities” component of the Regions in Growth Programme, securing EU‑backed support.
The state also continues to provide home‑based assistance, already covering 498 residents across 11 municipalities in Montana Region and an additional 2,683 people with disabilities under the Personal Assistance Act.
These developments signal a shift toward a more holistic approach in Bulgaria’s elderly care strategy, prioritising at‑home support while expanding institutional options for those with greater needs.
