OAFI Space: Castilla y León is taking pre-emptive action against the “tsunami of osteoarthritis and 800 hip fractures a day”

• Castile and León is one of the regions with the oldest population in Spain, with nearly half a million people aged over 70. Currently, around 450,000 people suffer from osteoarthritis and some 100,000 from osteoporosis.

• Every year, there are around 5,000 new hip fractures, and it is estimated that almost 100,000 people over the age of 70 have already suffered one (17.7%).

• The OAFI Foundation is launching the OAFI Space programme, an initiative that combines architecture and medicine to adapt the spaces in which we live to support our joint health, thereby preventing accidents and fractures.

• The Ballesol La Victoria Care Home (Valladolid) has become the first facility in Castile and León to receive this accreditation, having been certified on Wednesday as a centre that looks after its residents’ joint health in accordance with the OAFI Space criteria.

Valladolid, 28 May 2026

Ballesol Valladolid has become the first residential care group in Castile and León to receive Oafi Space accreditation from the Osteoarthritis Foundation International as a facility committed to promoting and protecting the joint health of its residents.

OAFI Space is an innovative programme that brings a new healthcare perspective to architectural design, reviewing, assessing and certifying spaces according to their suitability for musculoskeletal health and for people living with these conditions. The aim is to create safer, more accessible and healthier environments that promote independence and quality of life, encouraging active ageing. In this context, the Ballesol Group has established itself as a leader by obtaining this certification for functional suitability, reinforcing its commitment to environments that promote active and healthy ageing.

The accreditation ceremony, held at the Ballesol La Victoria care home itself, highlighted the need to adapt the spaces in which we live to the needs of an increasingly ageing population, particularly in regions such as Castile and León and within care home settings, with the aim of preventing accidents and improving quality of life.

Joint health in Castile and León with OAFI Space

Castile and León is currently one of the regions with the oldest population in Spain. Nearly half a million people are over the age of 70, a demographic reality that significantly increases the prevalence of osteoarticular diseases and the risk of fragility fractures.

It is currently estimated that around 450,000 people suffer from osteoarthritis and some 100,000 from osteoporosis in this region. Furthermore, almost 100,000 people over the age of 70 have suffered a hip fracture, representing approximately 17.7% of this population, with nearly 5,000 new fractures recorded each year.

Similarly, the burden of care associated with these conditions will continue to rise in the coming years. In 2019, there were between 13,000 and 15,000 fragility fractures in Castile and León, and forecasts suggest that this figure could rise to between 18,000 and 22,000 fractures per year by 2030.

Furthermore, projections for 2050 indicate that nearly 500,000 people could suffer from osteoarthritis and around 150,000 from osteoporosis in the region, reinforcing the need to promote preventive measures such as adapting spaces to the functional needs of older people.

In Spain, more than 7 million people suffer from osteoarthritis and around 3 million from osteoporosis. Every year, there are around 300,000 fragility fractures, many of them occurring at home and particularly in high-risk areas such as bathrooms or staircases. Recovery is often complex: only 40% of patients regain their previous level of independence, and mortality can reach 20% in those over 80 following a hip fracture.

OAFI Space: architecture that puts people first

In light of this situation, the OAFI Foundation is promoting the programme OAFI Space, with the aim of adapting spaces to support the joint health of the people living there. Carried out by a multidisciplinary team of experts in architecture and medicine, OAFI Space reviews, certifies and reconfigures spaces according to the needs of people with conditions that affect their joint mobility, thereby preventing falls and fractures.

The Ballesol La Victoria care home for the elderly in Valladolid was the first facility in Castile and León to obtain OAFI Space certification for functional suitability and the sixth within the Ballesol Group. The certification ceremony was attended by professionals from Ballesol’s nursing, medical and psychology departments, who all emphasised the importance of “where care is provided and how it is delivered”, highlighting the need to adapt residential and care spaces to the individual, rather than the other way round. “

“The failure to diagnose conditions, such as hip fractures, entails not only health, economic and social consequences, but also an increasingly evident emotional toll that manifests itself in despair, anxiety and depression in the patient.” For this reason, recent studies carried out by staff at the Ballesol La Victoria care home highlight the importance of “implementing standardised protocols for multidisciplinary management for the prevention, treatment and care of fragility fractures”

As Dr Vergés, president of OAFI, stated: “The ageing population is forcing us to rethink the spaces in which older people live. One of OAFI Space’s main areas of focus is ensuring that care homes and social-healthcare settings are safer, more accessible and better suited to joint health, thereby helping to prevent falls, fractures and loss of independence. The Ballesol Group is a clear example that this approach to designing spaces is both feasible and effective.”

With this accreditation, the Ballesol Valladolid Care Home joins the network of centres certified by OAFI Space, reinforcing its commitment to accessible, safe environments that promote active and healthy ageing. The partnership between OAFI and the Ballesol Group marks a further step forward in the promotion of social and healthcare facilities designed to support joint health.

About OAFI

Osteoarthritis Foundation International (OAFI) is the first and only non-profit foundation in the world dedicated exclusively to people suffering from osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and other osteoarticular conditions. Founded in 2016 and based in Barcelona, OAFI leads the global fight for joint health, promoting programmes in education, prevention, research and patient support. Its mission is to improve the quality of life of those living with these conditions by promoting early detection, self-care and patient empowerment. Through international conferences, awareness campaigns, scientific projects and collaborations, OAFI works to place joint health at the centre of the health and social agenda.

Ballesol’s Commitment

Ballesol –care homes and flats for the elderly and Suites Senior– is one of Spain’s leading companies in the care of elderly and dependent people. With over 45 years’ experience in the sector, it manages a total of 55 care homes. Since it began operations in 1980, Ballesol has been exclusively dedicated to providing residential and care services for the elderly. True to its commitment to ensuring the best possible care for its residents, Ballesol offers a high-quality care system based on direct, personalised and innovative care that fosters a close and caring bond with each resident and their families, providing them with health and wellbeing services of the highest quality.

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