Andalusia finds a solution for a new issue regarding senior care

Many elderly citizens are afraid of receiving social care services due to risk of contagion

The people of third age have born the heaviest brunt of the global coronavirus pandemic. This fact was established early on during the first COVID wave. This, however, has brought on challenges not only to their physical but also mental wellbeing.

In the wake of increasing infection rates, many senior citizens who receive social care services in residence centres or in their homes have decided to cancel their subscriptions fearing the possibility of contagion.

That is why the Government of Andalusia has decided to take this unusual circumstance into account and allow for recipients of these services a longer grace period of keeping their place on the services list despite their voluntary cancellation. Likewise, the entities that provide such services will continue being reimbursed.

Receiving care should not be an uneasy dilemma

Thus, it was decided that senior care receivers can voluntarily suspend the benefit of the service for a total of 90 days (it used to be 30) without losing their place on the list. This should allow a certain respite and less stress in what is already a highly stressful situation. The measure itself will apply until 28 February 2021.

Naturally, this opens the question of the occupation of organizations and entities who provide elderly care services. The regional government wants to allay their fears, too, by announcing that the Andalusian Social Services and Dependencies Agency (ASSDA) will pay the difference between the cost of each subscription and the amounts paid by the beneficiaries.

The same goes for the entities providing home care services under the Individual Care Programme plan. These entities will have to commit to maintaining the employment of their staff.

Furthermore, a certain continuity, wherever possible, of services should be ensured. This includes checking on the senior beneficiaries by telephone or online and providing services that do not require physical contact.