The elderly of Tenerife, a potential population of 150,000 people over the age of 65, will receive specialized care in their homes for the first time through the Institute of Social and Socio-Health Care of Tenerife (IASS). This initiative seeks to provide socio-health and rehabilitative support in the family environment to ensure that users remain at home. The project, launched through the Dependency Care Unit, aims to create 240 decentralized places for the entire island territory, which will be aimed at 190 elderly people and 50 with disabilities.
This service is currently being put out to tender and the process is in the midst of the period for submitting offers or requests to participate. “We are working so that it can start soon, as soon as possible,” says the island councilor for Social Action, Marián Franquet. In total, the planned funding amounts to 6.46 million euros, which will be divided into care for people with disabilities and the elderly.
Franquet explains that this service is completely new and pursues a person-centered care, taking into account their preferences. The IASS promotes this initiative whose exact name is Specialized Home Care Service for the elderly. The objective is to promote support of a socio-health and rehabilitative nature in the family environment. With this initiative from the Insular Corporation they seek to give the necessary support to users so that they can continue living in their homes without giving up receiving quality care.
240 Beneficiaries
There will be 240 people in a vulnerable situation from all over Tenerife who will benefit from this first island project. Of these, 190 are elderly and 50 have some type of disability.
Family support
Councilor Franquet explains that “elderly people and people with disabilities want to stay at home, with their families.” “However, they need specialized support that allows them to maintain their quality of life and carry out their daily activities in decent conditions,” she details. Thanks to the new service, this segment of the population will be able to meet their needs, while support will be offered to the relatives who take care of them.
«This is an absolutely new and personalized service, It is the first time that we provide this type of care on the island of Tenerife.”, assures Franquet. The counselor clarifies that this line of work meets the objective of achieving the individualization of the intervention, with attention centered on the person, “taking into account their preferences and the way they want to live their lives”. In addition, she emphasizes the importance of favoring the integration of the elderly in their communities and considers that this alternative can clearly favor this process.
The island councilor also highlights the value of this initiative as a generator of quality employment. Thus, to carry out this service, it has been planned to incorporate professionals from the socio-health sector, such as home help assistants, from the field of social work, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nursing and psychology.
Promotion of autonomy
These workers will develop support actions for the promotion of autonomy, personal care, control and protection, health promotion, socio-health care and rehabilitation, as well as psychosocial support and socio-community integration actions. An entire multidisciplinary staff at the service of the elderly or disabled, many of them without mobility. And without leaving home.
