Dimas Sarmiento: “A study is needed to address homelessness with a focus on mental health and addictions to provide more integrated and appropriate care”
Francis Candil: “We will work on strengthening resources and staff for Childhood and Family programs in the face of saturation of services”
The Councillor for Social Services and the Area for the Elderly of the San Bartolomé de Tirajana Town Council, Dimas Sarmiento, held a meeting with the Deputy Minister for Social Welfare of the Government of the Canary Islands, Francis Candil, to address and request collaboration in relation to the most urgent social challenges of the municipality. During the meeting, priority lines of action were established and possible solutions were analysed to improve care for the most vulnerable groups, such as minors, the elderly and those who are homeless.
Several agreements and priority lines of work were defined. Firstly, Sarmiento raised the need to carry out a specific study on the situation of homelessness in the locality, with a special focus on local cases that require treatment and care. This approach aims to provide more integrated and adequate care, addressing problems related to mental health and substance use.
Secondly, it was agreed to strengthen programmes aimed at children and families. Given the saturation of municipal services aimed at children and families, both institutions decided to work on increasing resources and staff. "The aim is to guarantee a more efficient response to the growing needs in this area and to alleviate the current burden on social services," said Candil.
In relation to care for the elderly, several priority measures were established. Among them, priority was given to opening new day centres in the midlands of Tunte and El Pajar, "areas that have been demanding this resource for years", explained the Councillor for Social Services and the Elderly. The possibility of extending the hours in the existing day centres to offer greater support to this group was also discussed. In addition, it was agreed to begin a study at the beginning of next year on the impact of the coexistence of foreign elderly people in the municipality and how to adapt social services to this new reality.
Care for foreign seniors: an emerging reality
During the meeting, which was also attended by the mayor of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Marco Aurelio Pérez, and the directors of Social Services and Immigration, as well as of Seniors and Active Participation of the Government of the Canary Islands, Elizabeth Santana and Verónica Meseguer, respectively, the increase in demand for services by foreign seniors residing in the municipality was addressed. Many of these seniors live alone and require frequent interventions, such as rescues after falls in their homes. In this regard, Sarmiento stressed “the need to establish urgent procedures to care for this group, guaranteeing a comprehensive and appropriate response.”
The possibility of considering co-payment formulas for services to ensure their long-term sustainability was also raised. "The objective would be to establish a financial balance, considering that some of these elderly people have assets that could be used to cover part of the services they receive," proposed the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare.
The meeting underlined the importance of strengthening coordination between the City Council and the Department of Social Welfare of the Government of the Canary Islands. Both institutions will work to ensure that services are equitably funded and to develop an ordinance that allows for the sustainability of social resources.
The first deputy mayor highlights the commitment of the Department of Social Services and the Elderly to "improve the quality of life of our elderly, protect them and firmly address homelessness. All of this requires a joint effort, not only in economic terms, but also in terms of institutional coordination. We are taking the necessary steps to achieve this," he concluded.
