We analyzed four home care companies in Mexico, Colombia, and Chile based on the testimonies of 158 people, to understand what these services are transforming and where they are reaching their limits.

Home care services for older adults are growing in Latin America, but we know little about how they operate in practice. This study is the second phase of a research project that began with the characterization of 234 organizations that applied to the Región Plateada call for proposals, an initiative of IDB Lab, GRADE, and the Arturo Sesana Foundation. From that group, we selected four companies in Mexico, Colombia, and Chile and studied them in depth, drawing on testimonies from 158 caregivers, client families, and management teams.

The analysis was organized into five dimensions: recognition, redistribution, compensation, reduction, and representation. The pattern is consistent across all of them. Progress is more evident in relational aspects than in structural ones. In terms of representation, for example, between 74% and 91% of caregivers say they have channels to express concerns on a day-to-day basis, but that figure drops to 40% when asked whether there are formal spaces for representation within the sector.

The study also documents the knowledge these companies developed on their own to operate in a market with no prior precedents, and the risk that this learning might be lost.

Read the full report to learn about the findings and recommendations by type of company.