Debrecen4U January 29, 2026

Renovation Begins on Wing 1A of the Pallagi Road Retirement Home

Thanks to the renovation, the dementia ward can be expanded. A press conference about the modernization was held on-site on 28 January 2026.

At an on-site press conference on January 28, Mayor László Papp said that the institution plays a particularly important role in the city’s elderly care system, as it not only provides residential accommodation but also medical care and support.

He added that the building also has a dementia ward, where the expert staff can make life easier for our fellow citizens facing this particular health challenge, and thanks to the ongoing development, this ward can now be expanded. He recalled that the decision to renovate the building was made in 2017, and two years later the work actually began.

The mayor emphasized that so far the municipality has spent HUF 330 million from its own funds on renovating the institution, and they plan to spend a further HUF 177 million—also from municipal funds—on the renovation of Wing 1A, since, European Union funding cannot be used for residential elderly care homes. He pointed out that the VSZSZ Pallagi Road Retirement Home is one of the largest elderly care institutions in Hungary and has the largest capacity in the region, currently caring for 320 residents, which means the institution operates at close to 100 percent capacity.

Deputy Mayor Lajos Barcsa noted that for the elderly, this building represents not only an institution but also serves as a real home for them. He added that how a city cares for its elderly also reflects the city itself. “The elderly worked for decades so that we could live in prosperity, and we would like to thank them by ensuring that they can live their everyday lives in truly dignified conditions,” he underlined.

He emphasized that there is enormous demand for this institution, with many people waiting to gain admission, which is very positive feedback for the facility. Speaking about the future, he said they will examine the possibility of developing the fourth floor in order to further increase the institution’s capacity and thus be able to care for even more elderly residents of Debrecen.

Nagy Lajosné, director of the Debrecen Municipal Social Service, said that the home for the elderly was built in 1966 and has been undergoing continuous renewal since 2017. The director pointed out that thanks to the renovation, they can not only make the lives of the elderly safer—by installing nurse call systems, laying non-slip flooring, and renovating wet rooms—but also create a more comfortable workplace for staff.

Municipal representative Róbert Juráskó highlighted that Debrecen is a caring city, which is why continuously improving the living conditions of residents is a priority. He added that this matters not only for the people living and working in the institution, but also for the relatives who visit them.

Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu