Opinion (Rogério COPETO): The GNR in combating isolation and loneliness of the elderly.
“The GNR in combating isolation and loneliness of the elderly”
Rogério COPETO
Lieutenant Colonel of the GNR, Master in Law and Security and Homeland Security Auditor
Head of the Education Division / Command Doctrine and Training
This April, the 5th edition of GNR's “Operation Census Senior” takes place, the mission of which is to combat loneliness and isolation in the elderly and prevent dangerous situations., to which some of this population is subject, because of their greater vulnerability condition.
Possibly the reader 2011 followed the news regarding an elderly resident of Rinchoa, Sintra municipality, that she was found dead in her home in February of that year and that she had allegedly been dead for 9 year old, no one had done anything, during all this time.
As a consequence of this same occurrence, the GNR took to the field the 1st edition of “Operação Censos Sênior” that year, so isolated or alone elderly were not found dead, without which no one paid them relief, because no human being should die without assistance, much less an elderly.
So, the main objective of "Operation Census Senior" is to register all the elderly who live alone and / or isolated, keeping with the same frequent contacts and reference together of the elderly support institutions, those who are in situations of greater vulnerability.
For this the GNR worth up its deployment throughout the country, from urban areas to the most remote areas of our country, human resources trained and motivated, with the first edition of “Operação Censo Sênior” recording a total of 15.596 seniors across the country the responsibility of GNR, whose area covers 94% the country and 56% the resident population. In the 2nd edition in 2012 They were recorded 23.001, in the year of 2013 They were recorded 28.197 and last year 33.963 seniors, It is expected that this year the number will continue to increase, having regard to the steady increase in the elderly population in our country, constituting one of the already aged in the world.
The all registered elderly is carried out a risk assessment, and that in situations where the elderly reveals particular vulnerability, it is signaled to respective institutions, having already been hundreds of marked elderly and some were literally saved from an impending tragedy.
It is also a set of information gathered including age, sex, civil status, GPS coordinates of your residence, phone has, you have family, health status and level of autonomy, you receive support, which the regularity of such support and received support.
The information collected is transmitted voluntarily and is confidential, It is used only for the purposes intended, which is to ensure better security for themselves or isolated elderly, so that they feel protected, thereby strengthening their own security.
This information collected and which the GNR now has makes it the institution with the most information on the topic of isolation and loneliness among the elderly, Therefore, it is frequently requested for inclusion in Local Social Diagnostic Plans, within the scope of the Social Network.
Despite the GNR develop this activity, in the context of this issue, this was established as 1st line entity, linking up with the answer institutions, does not replace these, getting so a huge visibility and consequent recognition, from the entities who work with seniors, Therefore, “Operation Census Senior” was recognized as a Good National Practice in the study commissioned by the Economic and Social Council (THESE) entitled "The Population Aging: Dependence, Activation and Quality"[1] and authored by the Center for the Study of Peoples and Cultures of Portuguese Expression, the Faculty of Humanities, from the Portuguese Catholic University and publicly presented at the Seminar “The Population Aging", made no dia 26 June 2013.
“Operation Census Senior” also aroused great interest, at government level, which includes the Ministries of Solidarity and Social Security and Internal Affairs, which led both ministries to sign a protocol in 1 December 2012 with the aim of "... Risk prevention, inherent isolation and loneliness, increased quality of life of older people and the sense of security of the same "[2].
The Ministry of Health also showed interest in the work carried out by the GNR within the scope of the 1st edition of “Operação Censos Sénior”, and thus has the National Institute of Health - Dr. Ricardo Jorge filed with GNR, a partner in the study "Aging and Violence"[3] and publicly presented at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation on the day 25 February last year.
Local and national media outlets have also carried out various reports over these five years, without intending to leave out any article., we have to highlight what was accomplished by journalist Rosa Ramos and published in Jornal I on 15 February 2014, with the title "When loneliness ends with a call from the GNR"[4] where in six pages it depicts the activity of the GNR military within the scope of “Operation Census Senior”, that goes far beyond what is required of them and that only the great humanity of all involved military makes this operation a success year after year.
[1] http://www.ces.pt/download/1483/Relatorio%20Final_UCP_ago%202012.pdf
[2] http://www.portugal.gov.pt/media/845475/20130201%20mai%20msss%20protocolo.docx.pdf
[3] http://repositorio.insa.pt/handle/10400.18/1955
[4] http://www.ionline.pt/artigos/portugal/quando-solidao-termina-telefonema-da-guarda
