Zamora (a rural province in Spain's Castilla y León region) is grappling with the consequences of being the country's most aged province, with sociologists warning that years of stopgap measures have failed to reverse its demographic decline. Experts are now proposing a reframing of the crisis as an opportunity: attracting young people to work in elder care could simultaneously address the shortage of caregivers and serve as a tool for repopulation and job creation. The situation underscores a broader challenge facing depopulated rural regions across southern Europe, where ageing and youth emigration form a self-reinforcing cycle with few easy remedies.