Checking on elderly parents who live in Spain, from abroad

For families with a parent retired to Spain: a daily WhatsApp check-in in English or Spanish, 112, the health centre, and neighbours who can look in.

By the Athnova Care team · Updated 2026-10-05

Why families abroad worry about parents in Spain

Hundreds of thousands of British, Irish and other European pensioners have retired to the Costa del Sol, the Costa Blanca, Mallorca or the Canary Islands, while their children work in London, Manchester or Dublin. Spanish families have the same worry the other way round: children in London, Berlin or Paris, parents in Madrid, Galicia or Andalucía.

Either way, a parent who lives alone — often after losing a partner — can go a day or two without anyone noticing a fall. A short daily check-in on WhatsApp closes that gap.

A daily check-in in English or Spanish, on WhatsApp

Every morning, at the time you choose on their clock, your parent gets one WhatsApp message in English or Spanish: did they take their morning medicines? They tap a button — "yes", "not yet" or "please call me" — and you see the answer in the family app.

Nothing to install and no password: the message arrives on the WhatsApp they already use, from a contact called Athnova Care. They can also send a photo of a blood-pressure reading, a prescription or a report at any time.

If the morning message is not answered, a reminder follows about three hours later. Our follow-up phone call does not reach Spain yet, so if the reminder also goes unanswered you are alerted straight away, and then the neighbour or relative you chose is asked to check.

Emergency numbers in Spain

Save these in your own phone and in your parent's, and on the fridge. Messages from Athnova Care quote this number when your parent says they are unwell, and so does their emergency card.

Number	What it is for
112	All emergencies, with English-speaking operators in most regions
061	Medical emergencies in several regions, such as Andalucía

We are not an emergency service. In an emergency, your parent or the person with them should call the local number first.

Build a local circle before you need it

Ask two people nearby to be the circle we message when your parent goes quiet: a neighbour on the urbanización, a friend from the club or the church, the building’s portero, or a relative in the same town. Save their WhatsApp numbers in the app.

Make sure the emergency card has the full address — urbanización, street, block, floor and door — and that a neighbour has a spare key. Ambulances lose minutes in large developments without one.

Doctors, hospitals and medicines

Your parent should be registered at the local health centre (centro de salud) and carry their health card. UK state pensioners usually register with an S1 form; check that it is in place, and that any private cover is still valid.

If your parent does not speak Spanish, write their conditions, medicines and allergies in Spanish on the emergency card, so a paramedic can read them at once.

The time difference

Mainland Spain and the Balearics are on Central European Time (UTC+1, UTC+2 in summer), one hour ahead of the UK and Ireland all year. The Canary Islands keep the same time as the UK.

What Athnova Care does and does not do in Spain

Daily WhatsApp check-in in English or Spanish or English, with the reply in your app.
An alert to you when they go quiet (the follow-up phone call does not reach Spain yet).
Alerts to the whole family, then to the neighbour or relative you chose.
An emergency card with their address, medicines, allergies, doctor and contacts, ready to share with a hospital.
Medicine reminders, readings and reports kept in one place for the doctor.
Not offered there: lab tests and medicine refills, which we arrange in India only.

Questions families ask

Can the check-in be in English?

Yes. Choose English or Spanish for each parent, and change it at any time.

What is the emergency number in Spain?

112, for every emergency, with operators who speak English in most regions. Some regions also use 061 for medical emergencies.

Is there a phone call if they do not reply?

The follow-up call does not reach Spain yet, so if the message and the reminder go unanswered we alert you and your local circle straight away.

Athnova Care tracks and coordinates care. It does not diagnose, prescribe or replace a doctor. In a medical emergency in Spain call 112.