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Date Published: 17/01/2022

ARCHIVED - How to help the elderly in Cartagena: give their keys to police

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Cartagena Local Police will have a copy of the keys to the homes of vulnerable people to provide fast emergency aid

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - How to help the elderly in Cartagena: give their keys to police

Cartagena City Council intends to make a very important change to its telecare services as a way of helping elderly and vulnerable people who live alone to remain independent and well cared-for. Under a new agreement, Local Police will have a set of keys to their homes, making it possible to give them faster and more reliable assistance when needed.

To do this, the Policía Local in Cartagena will have a copy of the key to the homes of elderly and vulnerable people (once they have given their consent and authorisation), and when the telecare company in charge sounds the alarm, police will be able to enter these homes through the front door without having to resort to breaking in through a window or similar methods.

Cartagena’s municipal telecare service currently reaches 441 homes and serves 480 people, most of whom have emergency support contacts who will respond when needed, but, as the Mayor and Councillor for Social Welfare and Sports, Noelia Arroyo, explained, “there is a small percentage who, due to their situation of solitude and isolation from their surroundings, do not have contacts who can provide them with support".

“We are talking about 3.5% of the total number of telecare homes, around 15 people, to whom this action protocol is aimed, an example of collaboration between municipal services and the company, which is taking a special interest in further optimising the service it provides”, said Ms Arroyo.

Only if an emergency call is received in which the user is unable to open the door of their home will the police be sent out. If at any time the user leaves the service, the keys will be returned by the service coordinator.

A few months ago, the City Council launched a programme about loneliness amongst the elderly, “which has set up a social network to detect elderly people living alone in Cartagena, to raise the alarm and provide the necessary means to care for them. Although we already have home help, meal services, telecare and accompaniment, we are particularly concerned about the elderly who fall off the social radar, who live without family or social support”, Ms Arroyo said.

In Cartagena there are almost 30,000 elderly people who live alone or with another elderly person, and almost 8,600 people live in total solitude from others.

Images: Ayuntamiento de Cartagena

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