The Municipal Council for the Elderly of La Laguna, in Tenerife, approved in its session this Friday to propose to the plenary session of the City Council a motion in which it will be requested that banking entities and all those services of citizen interest that adapt to the reality and needs of the elderly and maintain face-to-face care.
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This municipal advisory body, in which thirty local associations for the elderly and all municipal political groups are represented, proposes that the Corporation not only support this fundamental demand to avoid the impact of the digital divide on this population group, but also extend it to other public administrations.
More than 38,000 people in La Laguna, 24% of its population, are over 60 years old and, although there is no updated data, those present at the Municipal Council for the Elderly are very clear that a significant percentage of citizens are finding themselves with serious difficulties in adapting to a world that requires technological knowledge that is very difficult for them to acquire, explains the City Council.
“The impact of the pandemic, which has been especially hard on this age group, and the associated restrictions have led to serious psychosocial problems, an increase in unwanted loneliness and a growing sense of isolation that transcends physical space. Now, with a trend towards digitization, which is maintained or even increases as restrictive health measures decrease, the elderly population finds itself with a loss of autonomy in their daily lives that, in addition, affects issues as important as accessing their pensions and make purchases and daily transactions, making them dependent on third parties”, explained the Councilor for Social Welfare, Rubens Ascanio.
At a time when care and active aging policies are being promoted in the municipality, so that older people can count on the necessary help to preserve their independence and desired way of life, this digital divide is becoming a challenge for public management.
“We are going to increase the information and communication technology learning workshops that we are already developing with this population group, a measure that is already included in the program of activities for the elderly that we are going to develop this semester, but this in itself It alone is not going to solve the problem and we need complicity and understanding so that an important part of our citizens is not left, all of a sudden, without face-to-face support, which is fundamental,” added the mayor.
The fifty people who make up the Council for the Elderly demanded a social commitment so that the residents of La Laguna are not marginalized and can continue to have services adapted to their needs. To do this, they agreed with the public representatives that the City Council will join their demands and propose an institutional motion, which will be drafted jointly with the elderly, with the support of the technical and legal services of the Institution and the greatest possible public consensus. , so that this citizen claim achieves the best possible results.
