The Telecare Service reaches out to the elderly

A new campaign will help the Municipal Telecare Service reach out to the 20,000 people over 75 who live alone in the city and who haven’t requested the service although they’re entitled to it. The recommendation is for people to request the service, which has been an immense help to users during the pandemic. As elderly people are one of the most vulnerable groups, the service provides them with information and emotional support, as well as facilitating access to healthcare services.

The application can now be made online via the procedures website, and following an agreement with the Catalan Health Ministry the previously obligatory medical report will not be necessary until 30 September. Besides the campaign, a specific phone campaign is also under way for citizens to learn about the changes.

Combatting loneliness among the elderly

A specific campaign was started during the health crisis to reach 91,000 people in 73,000 homes. The service was adapted to prioritise support for the most vulnerable, proactively contacting 3,000 people a day to give them information about the coronavirus and resolve any doubts.

Users expressed anxiety and concerns over the illness and in many cases the sensation of facing the situation in isolation and feeling alone.

Along the same lines, the last few months have also seen the start of the municipal strategy to combat loneliness, a phenomenon which particularly affects elderly populations in cities and which has intensified with Covid-19.

The strategy seeks to:

• Identify risks and the factors which lead to the feeling of loneliness.
• Offer suitable services and resources and adapt existing municipal services as required.
• Plan new resources needed.
• Set up tools for preventing loneliness and forging social ties among people without much of a family network or circle of friends.

Some 324 projects directly or indirectly related to loneliness are currently being carried out.