Repsol YPF

Growing old at home without taking risks. That is the main objective of the Telecare Service for the elderly, an initiative created in 1993, which offers senior citizens the opportunity to live in their own homes with round-the-clock supervision from a specialist team, every day of the year. Thanks to this initiative, which already serves over 350,000 people in Spain, users can feel safer and more protected in their own homes. How does the telecare service work? Who can request it?

Users of this programme, managed by IMSERSO (Institute for the Elderly and Social Services) and the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) through a collaboration programme, receive instant personal attention just by pressing a button, that they usually wear round their neck, attached to a “medallion”. Furthermore, they have a console in their home, similar  to a telephone, which allows them to contact a group of professionals who are trained to respond immediately in emergency and dangerous situations. Moreover, using these devices, the service enables them to make calls should they need conversation or if they are frightened of being alone or isolated in their own homes.

In the event that the elderly person needs company rather than security, the programme takes the initiative and tries to maintain close, regular contact with them, in other words, if for example, they are interested in football, a Telecare employee will call them every Monday to discuss the football scores. That way, the elderly person will increase their social interaction and feel less lonely. At the same time, the service can check that the user is alright.

The telecare service also schedules calls to remind users of important appointments; such as doctor’s appointments or when they need to take their medicines. It monitors the elderly person regularly and also in specific cases, such as after a stay in hospital, for example, or to wish them a happy birthday or a merry Christmas, etc. 

Who can request the Telecare programme?

In order to request the Telecare Service in your home, you must meet the following requirements: be above the age of 65, suffer from a disability or be dependent on others, or care for someone who is, as in the case of relatives of sufferers of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. The service is usually free for people above the age of 80, and for people below this age the price of the service usually ranges between 3 and 10 euros per month.

Dependency Law and telecare

In Spain, there are 1,700,000 people entitled to receive telecare services, however, there are only 350,000 public users currently using this service. As a result of the new Dependency Law, drafted by the government, and passed in the last session, it is anticipated that the needs of 1,500,000 people will be met within four years, according to data provided by the System for Autonomy and Care for Dependent People (SAAD).

In addition to telecare, the Dependency Law establishes other social services to promote personal autonomy; home help, day and night care services, residential care, etc. It also promotes benefits and improvements to accessibility in private companies and public bodies.

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