Illegal Nursing Home Uncovered in Sofia: Elderly Residents Evacuated

Bulgarian authorities uncovered an unlicensed nursing home operating in Sofia’s Suhodol district during a joint operation by the Sofia Directorate of the Ministry of Interior and the Agency for the Quality of Social Services. The Ministry of Social Affairs announced that the eight residents will be relocated and receive medical evaluations, as many are reported to be in serious condition. Social Affairs Minister Borislav Gutsanov emphasized that the facility had never been licensed, and the duration of its operation remains under investigation. Alternative accommodations for the evicted residents have been arranged.

Unofficial reports from BNT suggest there were actually ten elderly individuals residing at the site. Additionally, investigations are ongoing into possible property fraud involving some of the residents.

In response to this and other recent scandals, the government has intensified inspections of elderly care facilities nationwide. In the village of Yagoda near Stara Zagora, authorities discovered 75 mentally ill elderly people restrained and confined in deplorable conditions, with inadequate food and overmedication, including tranquilizers. These facilities avoided official social services oversight by registering as “rooms for rent” rather than licensed homes.

Similar findings were reported in Varna, where inspections revealed three more illegal care homes operating under the guise of rental rooms, exposing appalling living conditions. Minister Gutsanov condemned these places, describing them as “deformed phenomena” and “not normal.”

Evacuations have also taken place in a facility in Govedartsi. Officials vow to continue these rigorous inspections until every illegal nursing home is found and shut down, signaling a firm commitment to resolving the issue completely.