Opinion (Rogério COPETO / Official GNR): The GNR IN FRONT LINE IN SUPPORT FOR ELDERLY.
A GNR REALIZE entre o dia 1 and 31 from October to "Operation Safety in the Elderly 2017", in order to inform and sensitize all seniors, especially those who live isolated and alone, on the security procedures to be observed in any situation that may be victims.
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
The GNR taking advantage of its implementation throughout the national territory, from urban areas to the most remote areas of our country, whose area covers 94% the country and 56% the resident population, with possessing human resources specially trained and motivated, performs a set of activities, in supporting the elderly, constituting as 1st line entity and linking up with the answer institutions, however these are not replacing, getting a huge visibility and consequent recognition, Together these organizations that work with seniors.
Already we have talked several times this work, the military GNR develop under the program "Support 65 – Safety in the Elderly", and this work known and recognized by the entire population, especially older, as well as the entities that are partners of GNR, initiatives in developing, making it likely, the institution that more support and know this fringe of the Portuguese population, which tends to increase every year, forcing the GNR to find solutions and to innovate, to remain in the forefront in supporting the elderly.
One is these innovative initiatives "Operation Census Senior"I was on the ground for the first time in 2011, in order to combat loneliness and isolation in the elderly and prevent dangerous situations, because of their greater vulnerability condition, and by now needs no introduction, GNR having signaled this year 45.516 elderly living alone and / or isolated.
That is why, It is not surprising that "Operation Senior Census" has been regarded as good practice in the study by the School of Humanities, the Portuguese Catholic University, on "The Population Aging: Dependence, Activation and Quality"Where it is stated that" ... the Operation Census Senior ... presents itself as one of the great contribution of interventions on practical knowledge on the subject in Portugal, to cooperate in the characterization of this population nationally and signaling vulnerable situations who lack social support… In Portugal, it is considered as a good practice the work of the GNR, while project works as a platform to identify isolated older people in situations where risk and vulnerability and forwards them to support services appropriate to situation".
Fruit of knowledge that the GNR has on the elderly who have the responsibility, one consortium led by Microsoft, convidou a GNR cm 2014, to participate in the project "Ambient Assisted Living for All", whose acronym is "AAL4ALL", which aims to develop an ecosystem of Ambient Assisted Living products and services (assisted environment), and that has been validated through a large-scale pilot, held at the Territorial Command Action Zone Évora.
To realize the large scale pilot, It was assigned to the GNR responsibility to proceed with the selection of the elderly, according to the criteria defined by the consortium, having received them in his house several technological equipment, with the task of monitoring a set of signals remotely controlled, for two levels of supervision, a first identified as informal caregiver, consisting of a military GNR and a second level, through the "Situation Room" Territorial Command Évora, whose garrison dispose of a platform for monitoring all seniors entered the pilot.
For clarity on this project, We suggest viewing of the reports made at the time, such as the SIC NotÃcias piece with the title "Evora will serve as a pilot city for assistance to the elderly", da TVI “Évora: Partnership between Microsoft and GNR allows you to track elderly in their own homes"Ou da RTP"Medical remote assistance project from Microsoft under tests in Évora", the latter being subtitled in English, taking into account the international dimension of AAL4ALL project and whose results were presented at the Port on 23 February 2015 na "Earnings Release session AAL4ALL initiative".
Taking advantage of the knowledge that the GNR has on the elderly, combined with existing technology to support this population, Territorial Command of the Guard, implemented this year an initiative to support the elderly through telecare, as the Jornal do Fundão 23 June made known in the article "Guard GNR releases telecare for the elderly", where it is stated that GNR began to provide tele-assistance service to older people living alone and isolated, to this end have been formalized cooperation protocols with 13 municipalities of the district of Guarda, trying-se, segundo a GNR when Guarda de um "innovative design that will ensure immediate response and effective, in preventing and promoting the quality of life of vulnerable people, by creating integrated responses, especially in key safety components, the relief and social action ... and to combat the negative effects of social isolation and loneliness, by creating integrated responses and leveraging the synergies that each partner could develop, especially in key safety components, the relief and social action".
With the intention to continue to innovate and to respond to all requests made to it, GNR teamed up this year to the National Health Service (SNS) in conducting a joint awareness-raising action with that service and held on the last day 4 October, in NHS facilities 24, as article in your page with the title "SNS 24 GNR and allies in the security of the elderly", stating that "sob the thematic program 'Old Age Security 2017', GNR alerted and sensitized the participants to adopt safety procedures, to avoid being victims of crime, in particular situations of violence, teasing, theft and robbery … constituting this awareness action as a multidisciplinary initiative with a comprehensive and integrated approach to the NHS that you want to be getting closer to the citizens, especially vulnerable".
For this and more, is the men and women of GNR, who contribute daily to improve the quality of life for seniors, who should be awarded the merit of GNR be recognized as the entity that performs more work in supporting the elderly, keeping year after year at the forefront in supporting the elderly.
