How the City of Buenos Aires plan to care for and assist older adults during quarantine will work

After the president’s meeting Alberto Fernández together with the provincial governors, where one of the topics discussed was special care for older adults, The government of the city of Buenos Aires communicated what the preventive and attention plan against the coronavirus will be for the 490 thousand people who make up this group.

The distancing and assistance program will be the main action for adults over 70 years of age. The objective of accompanying and caring for them originated the “MayoresCuidados” network, where more than 30 thousand people applied to be part of this task. Also the agreement with the people in charge of the buildings, who were entrusted with the task of covering the basic needs of the neighbors and preventing them from leaving their homes.

Although the main recommendation to avoid contagion and the spread of the virus is social distancing, from Buenos Aires management they considered that, mainly for this age group, it is It is important to maintain an emotional bond so that the isolation is more bearable. The City Government implemented a care network also made up of relatives, neighbors and various social organizations to help and improve the material organization of daily life.

To efficiently discriminate each case, older adults were classified into four groups: those who live in single-person or multi-generational households without socio-environmental vulnerability and those who live in single-person or multi-generational households with socio-environmental vulnerability.

One-person or monogenerational homes are understood as those older adults who live alone or live with another older adult; and multi-generational homes for those who live with non-elderly people.

When the elderly have conditions of vulnerability in multigenerational homes, they will consider strategies for strengthening community care and safeguarding in community institutions. It consists of taking the older adult to places where he can transit the social and preventive isolation in favorable sanitary conditions and emotionally accompanied. In no case will it be obligatory to move temporarily to a shelter center.

Both volunteers and family members, neighbors or others who attend this group, will be recommended keep a meter and a half away, say hello from afar, wash your hands before and after, and plan the purchase of food or the payment of assets by telephone. This last point seeks to avoid the extension of face-to-face dialogue.

For those who live with an older adult, the same recommendations, added to the importance of not sharing personal belongings and, if possible, that they have a separate room and bathroom. The Buenosairean government also advises “Avoid overinformation, establish a routine for information, only at certain times of the day. Find an official channel to find out, to avoid feelings of fear, insecurity or panic. Mental health is an element of special care in these situations“

Regarding those who live in a situation of socio-environmental vulnerability -more than 4,700 according to the records-, the community care network was strengthened with “neighborhood promoters”. A trained promoter or neighborhood agent assigned by the community network of the neighborhood where the older adult lives will be assigned. Every 10 older adults, a neighborhood promoter who will do the same tasks previously mentioned and will maintain the indicated recommendations.

It will also question the presence of cough, odynophagia, respiratory distress or fever. He will visit you once a day but will not be able to make bank charges.

Older adults who live in multigenerational homes and under these same conditions will have parish or community-run shelter centers or other out-of-hospital establishments, such as hotels. “They will be places for no more than 20 people carefully accompanied with amenities such as hot water, TV and recreation workshops”, specified.

Prior to the move, a consent will be signed in the presence of a witness or family member and a health assessment will be conducted. at the nearest Center for Health and Community Action (CeSAC). A functional and sanitary evaluation of the older adult will be made. Your usual medication, type of diet, medical history, epidemiological risk will be released. And you will be given the flu vaccine.

The main neighborhoods involved are: 31 (Retiro), 15 (Ciudad Oculta), 21-24 Zavaleta (Barracas-Nueva Pompeya), 20 Papa Francisco (Villa Lugano), 1-11-14 Barrio Ricciardelli (Bajo Flores), Fraga ( Chacarita), Rodrigo Bueno (Costanera Sur) and Carrillo-Fátima (Villa Soldati). In these neighborhoods there will be 28 places where older adults can continue with social and preventive distancing outside their homes. ”

So far 3,453 older adults have registered to receive the help of a volunteer. Those who need to do so must sign up through line 147. An operator will request the personal data (name and surname, ID, address, telephone, etc.) and will ask what kind of help is required.

Regarding the agreement with those in charge of the buildings, the City signed an agreement with SUTERH to carry out prevention actions for COVID-19. After the massive attendance at the banks last Friday, the entities agreed to deliver the activated debit cards to facilitate the collection of assets and the payment of all kinds of services.