Opinion (Rogério COPETO / Official GNR): A SIGNALING AND ISOLATED FROM ELDERLY ALONE 2011.
The GNR held for the eighth time Operation Senior Census, throughout the month of October last year, having this January announced its results, verifying that have been flagged 45.563 elderly living alone or isolated across the country, more 47 than in the operation in 2017.
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
Operation Census Senior's mission, combat loneliness and isolation in the elderly and prevent dangerous situations, by reason of their greater vulnerability, Radio Renaissance having on their part with the title "'Senior Census'. More than 45 thousand elderly people living alone or isolated", dated 09 January, gave voice to their results, where GNR source added that "during operation, the military favored the personal contact and the holding room in stocks, in order to raise awareness of this target group not to adopt risky behaviors, avoiding becoming victims of crimes, as theft, theft or scams".
The work that develops during GNR Operation Census Contributor, born of the need to combat the isolation and loneliness of the elderly population, procedendo a GNR desde 2011 signaling the isolated elderly and alone, forwarding the situations of greatest danger, for institutions of support for the elderly, having signaled this year 15.596 seniors across the country the responsibility of GNR, verifying that the number has tripled in eight years.
The GNR beyond signaling the elderly, conducts awareness-raising and information on the safety procedures to be followed in abuse situations, assault or fraud, and how they can report crimes they suffer, available for this purpose the phone numbers of the military GNR, thus creating trust between the GNR, the elderly and their families.
But, what was really at the root of Census Operation Senior was the fact that in February 2011 It has been found dead, one resident elderly in Rinchoa, Sintra municipality, in your own home, and alleged to be dead for 9 year old, no one had done anything, during all this time, whereby as a result of such occurrence, GNR took the stage the first edition of Operation Senior Census 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 Senior Census is to register all seniors who live alone and 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, GNR having registered an increasing number of elderly, from 2011, much the fault of the constant increase in the elderly population in our country, constituting one of the already aged in the world.
The all registered elderly is performed 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 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, tornando-see a GNR, thereby, the institution with more information on the theme of isolation and loneliness of the elderly.
In possession of this information, GNR becomes the institution with more information on the theme of isolation and loneliness of the elderly, so it is often requested to give work account that performs with the elderly during Operation Senior Census, in various forums, where the theme is the elderly protection.
Despite the GNR develop this activity, in the context of this issue, this is constituted as first-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, The further operation Senior Census been recognized as a National Good Practice in the study commissioned by the Economic and Social Council (THESE) entitled "The Population Aging: Dependence, Activation and Quality"And written by the Center for Studies of Peoples and Cultures of Portuguese Expression, the Faculty of Humanities, the Portuguese Catholic University.
Operation Senior Census also aroused great interest, at government level, which includes the Ministries of Solidarity and Social Security and Internal Affairs, which led to both ministries sign a protocol in 1 February 2013 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 ".
The Ministry of Health showed interest in the work of the GNR under the 1st edition of Operation Senior Census, and thus has the National Institute of Health - Dr. Ricardo Jorge filed with GNR, a partner in the study "Aging and Violence"And publicly presented at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation on 25 February 2014.
Local and national media also over these eight years held several reports and without intention to leave out any articles, we have to highlight what has been produced by the Public journalist, Maria João Lopes, with the title "The 'good fellow' GNR fighting the loneliness of the elderly", dated 16 March 2014 or more recently the article with the title "Aurora espera in GNR door. There 45 thousand elderly people living alone in Portugal", dated 8 January 2019, of the journalist of the Daily News, Carlos Ferro.
It is therefore concluded that the GNR performs an important role in protecting the most vulnerable elderly, constituting Operation Census Senior as sufficient evidence that the GNR fulfills the mission that is required, going far beyond what is required, and that only the great humanity of all involved military makes this operation a success year after year, and is the confirmation that the GNR constitutes the face of the state, that closer and more visible is the older population.
