My parents are getting older: who pays for their care, what cover can they still have, and how do I help without losing myself?
A 75-year-old with no health cover, a premium larger than the pension, dementia and a power of attorney, funeral costs, a child who left work to care. What applies, what we do not know, and what you can do while there is time.
In short
GESY covers everyone living in Cyprus legally with no age limit, but nobody can promise new private cover at an older age. The most useful step is to talk now, while your parent can still decide.
- Sit down with your parents and list policies, beneficiaries and contacts.
- Before an expensive health plan is cancelled, ask about a cheaper option within it; a new one may exclude what is already there.
- Ask whether they want to give you written authority, and talk to a lawyer about a power of attorney.
- If you cut back your work to provide care, ask Social Insurance about your own insurance.
From the series “The questions you are afraid to ask”: questions real people ask, with honest answers.
At a glance
- GESY covers everyone who lives in Cyprus legally, with no age limit, and includes rehabilitation, palliative and home care; waiting lists have been reported, though.
- New private cover after 70 depends on each product’s maximum entry age and on health; nobody can promise it.
- Before a parent cancels an expensive health plan, ask about a cheaper option within it: a new one may exclude what they already have.
- Talk now, while your parent can still decide: where the policies are, and who may speak on their behalf.
Love and exhaustion together
Caring for a parent is one of the most tender and most exhausting things a person does. It often comes suddenly: a fall, a diagnosis, a phone call. With it come money questions many people are ashamed to ask. Asking “who will pay?” is not disrespect. It is how you protect both your parent and your own family.
What exists, and what we could not confirm
- GESY: universal cover for legal residents. The package includes doctors, tests, listed medicines, hospital care, rehabilitation, palliative and home care. The same source reports waiting lists for palliative care and rehabilitation.
- Funeral grant: a lump sum equal to 5.6% of the annual basic insurable earnings, revised every January, claimed within 12 months. We could not confirm the 2026 amount.
- State long-term care: it goes through the Guaranteed Minimum Income (for its recipients and some others with insufficient income). Home care up to €400 a month per family (€200 or €400 for people aged 80 and over), residential care €625–745 a month (excluding VAT), day care up to €137 a month (European Commission, July 2026). It is means-tested help, not cover for everyone. We have not verified the 2026 amount of the Guaranteed Minimum Income itself.
- Community nursing in GESY: a short referral of 3 visits, a medium one of 6, both within 6 months, up to 12 visits a year (European Commission, 2026).
- Long-term care insurance: we found no verified source on a dedicated long-term care insurance product in Cyprus. Ask the Social Welfare Services and your parent’s insurer.
If your parent has a disability: from 2026 the allowance for disabled people aged 18 and over rose from €368 to €405 a month, backdated to January and with no new application (Cyprus Mail, 27 August 2026). See also our article on disability in the family.
When the premium overtakes the pension
Health plans get more expensive with age. The first thought is to cancel. Before that, three questions are worth asking: is there a cheaper option within the same plan (a larger amount you pay first, a different room class)? What exactly went up, and why? And what would a new plan mean for conditions that already exist? Often the answer is that a new plan would exclude them.
What went wrong for others — and how to avoid it
- The renewal letter said only “your new premium is X”. In Greece (not Cyprus), the authority found letters without the old premium, the percentage increase or the basis of calculation. How to avoid it: ask in writing for the old and new premium, the percentage and the breakdown (age, medical inflation, the policy clause), and ask about a cheaper option before cancelling.
- A payment was missed and the plan lapsed. A reinstated health plan can be treated as new, with new waiting periods (Cyprus). How to avoid it: a direct debit from an account that always has funds, and a son or daughter who knows when the parent’s card expires.
Your questions, one by one
My father is 75 and has no health insurance. Can I still get him something?
Possibly, but each product has a maximum entry age and the insurer will assess his health; nobody can promise it. Anything he already has will probably be excluded. His base is GESY; ask what private cover would add, and at what cost.
Who pays for a care home if my mother can no longer live alone?
We found no verified source on what the state pays, so we do not quote amounts. Ask the Social Welfare Services about support, and GESY about home care. Talk openly as a family about how the cost is shared, before it becomes urgent.
Is there insurance for long-term care in Cyprus?
We found no verified dedicated long-term care product on the Cyprus market. Some critical illness or disability covers pay a lump sum that can help, but they have their own definitions. Ask what exists today and exactly what it pays.
Can I take out life cover on my mum to pay for her funeral?
It needs her consent and her answers to the health questions, and each product has an age limit. At an older age the premiums may come close to the amount that would be paid. Compare it with putting the same amount aside each month.
How much does a funeral cost in Cyprus, and is it worth insuring for?
We have no verified average cost, and it varies a lot. Social Insurance pays a funeral grant (5.6% of the annual basic insurable earnings), claimed within 12 months. For many families a small sum set aside is enough; insurance makes sense when the gap is larger.
My parents’ health premium is now more than their pension. What can they do?
Before they cancel, ask in writing for the breakdown of the increase and for cheaper options within the same plan. A new plan at their age may exclude what they already have. If it still does not add up, at least you know what they would lose, and that GESY remains.
Can I add my elderly parent to my family health plan?
Family plans usually cover a spouse and children, not parents, but check how “dependant” is defined. If it is not allowed, the option is an individual plan for your parent, with underwriting and an age limit. Ask in writing.
I left work to care for my father. What happens to my own social insurance and pension?
This matters and is often forgotten. We could not confirm whether there are credits or voluntary insurance for carers; ask the Social Insurance Services what you can do so you do not lose years of insurance. Think about your own health and life cover too.
My mother has dementia. Can I manage her policies and claims for her?
The insurer will speak to the policyholder or to someone with legal authority. Whether and how authority can be given once capacity is already affected is a legal matter; ask a lawyer as soon as possible. If your parent can still decide, do not put it off.
How do I find out what policies my parents have before it’s too late?
We found no register in Cyprus where you could search for policies. The surest way is to list them together now: insurer, number, beneficiaries, where the papers are. AVRASTRO’s family folder helps keep it all in one place.
Do I need a power of attorney to talk to my dad’s insurer?
For general information, it is often enough for your father to give the insurer a written authorisation. For changes or claims, a power of attorney may be asked for. For a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman, a representative needs a special power of attorney.
Does any insurance cover a hip replacement for a 70-year-old?
If your parent already has a health plan and the problem is not excluded, possibly; check the terms and ask for written pre-approval. A new plan will usually not cover a problem that already exists. GESY includes hospital care; ask the doctor about the process and the waiting time.
I’m an only child and I’m terrified of the costs if both parents fall ill at once.
Your fear is understandable, and you are not alone. Start with a clear picture: what cover they have, what GESY provides, what income and savings exist. Then protect yourself too: your own income and health are what hold the whole family up.
Are live-in carers covered by insurance if they get hurt?
This concerns the employer’s obligations, often your own family’s, and it is general insurance. Ask a general-business intermediary or your insurer what is required and what is covered. The “Employer obligations” tool gives a first picture.
My parents want to leave us money but also need it for old age. How do people balance that?
Their own years come first: care, health, dignity. Tell them that this is the best gift, because it spares you worry later. Whatever is left beyond that can be planned with a lawyer. Cyprus has had no estate duty since 2000.
My father’s old policy matured. Should he keep the money or put it somewhere else?
We cannot suggest a product. The questions that matter are when he will need the money, how available it must be, and how much of a fall he can bear. For tax treatment ask a tax adviser; what suits him is for a licensed advisor to judge.
What does the state give people who care for an elderly or disabled relative?
We have no verified information on carers’ allowances, so we do not quote them. Ask the Social Welfare Services and the service that pays any disability allowances. Keep notes with the names and dates of every contact.
Should I pay my parents’ premiums, and do I get tax relief for it?
You can pay, but the policyholder is still the one who decides. The Article 14 deduction has limits (1/5 of taxable income, and for life cover up to 7% of the sum insured); whether it applies to premiums on a parent’s policy we could not confirm. Ask the Tax Department.
Questions worth asking
- Is there a cheaper option within the same plan, without new underwriting?
- How does the increase break down: age, medical inflation, the policy clause?
- What authorisation do you need to talk to me about my parent’s policy?
- What is the maximum entry age, and what would be excluded?
What you can do from today
- Sit with your parents and list policies, beneficiaries and contacts.
- Ask whether they want to give you written authorisation for their insurers.
- Speak to a lawyer about a power of attorney while your parent can still decide.
- Set payments up by direct debit and note when cards expire.
- Ask Social Insurance about your own insurance record if you cut back on work.
Every policy has its own terms. What we write here is general information, not advice; for your own case, what your policy says applies, and it is worth confirming it in writing with your insurer.
Sources
- WHO European Observatory — Health Systems and Policy Monitor: Cyprus (statutory financing, 2025)
- ISSA — Country profile: Cyprus (rules as of 1 July 2023)
- European Commission — Your social security rights in Cyprus (July 2026, in Greek)
- Cyprus Mail, 27 August 2026 — Government announces increased benefits for disabled people
- Financial Ombudsman of the Republic of Cyprus — Frequently asked questions
- PwC Cyprus — Tax Facts & Figures 2024 (estate duty abolished since 2000)
- CyLaw — Income Tax Law 118(I)/2002, Article 14 (deductions)
- Enikonomia, 24 June 2026 — Greek authority on health premium increase letters (not Cyprus, in Greek)
Read also: Why does my premium go up? · Can I be insured, with my age and health? · After 50: what to check before retiring · My family folder · What to do when someone close dies
If you would like a second look, book an appointment with an advisor and bring your policy and your questions. You will go through them together, with no obligation.
