The Territorial Director of the Imserso, Verónica Aznar, has detailed the more than 254,000 euros that have been invested this year in the Multipurpose Center for Services for Elderly People, popularly known as the Residence of Elderly, to cover everything that was demanded as “priority one” to provide technical means to professionals and improvements in the comfort of our residents.
Thus, it has highlighted 42 roof cranes that would complete the previous investment purchase and that has meant that each room can already have its roof crane that facilitates patient mobility; the purchase of 30 geriatric armchairs; the four medication carts, which improve the supply of them; the four vital constant monitors; the 30 tables and 50 dining chairs, the four 60-inch monitors for common areas…
A center, he added, in which improvements are being made in the air conditioning. In fact, Aznar recalled that, in November, recently incorporated into the Territorial Directorate, work began with the team of architects of Madrid, for the technical analysis of the climate situation and the steps to be taken for its improvement.
The complete replacement of the air conditioning system requires an investment that could reach two million euros and that makes it necessary to comply with the legal deadlines in accordance with the Public Sector Contracting Law, “it is not characterized by being precisely fast” he explained.
This measure has already been initiated since the procedure is in the tender phase, but, in the meantime, Aznar has advanced the immediate measures that have been taken to deal with the situation.
Thus, he has referred to the rental of four Air Treatment Units (UTAs) whose objective is the adequate air conditioning of the building along with a better purification of the atmosphere. “They allow us to maintain an adequate temperature and also favor better sanitary conditions, particularly important after what we learned during the pandemic,” he said, while also reporting that the rent amounts to 13,860 euros for a period of 6 months.
Another of the solutions applied has been the purchase of 8 fan coils or indoor air conditioning units. “They have been arranged in those parts of the building that have been considered most necessary to ensure good air conditioning,” he said, and indicated that the amount of this purchase was 14,899 euros.
Thirdly, the purchase of air-conditioning penguins has been carried out, which have been placed in certain rooms of the residents according to three criteria of priority attribution: the existence of respiratory problems, that it is a bedridden resident, that it is an overweight resident. “These penguins are relocated depending on the circumstances and the state of the facilities in each room in the event that they are repaired,” he said.
Finally, with an amount of 2,665 euros, we have proceeded to the installation in doors and windows of solar sheets whose function is to ensure greater thermal insulation, better energy efficiency and the preservation of furniture as well as better protection of residents against direct light.
On this issue, Aznar pointed out that it was carried out to hire a Building Assessment Report, worth 10,966 euros, “which can serve as a basis for us to subsequently establish the technical projects of general intervention that need to be undertaken and work from prevention”.
Driving and Transportation Service
Continuing with the Residency, the Territorial Director of the Imserso has valued “three great achievements that have been undertaken in recent weeks”, referring to the coverage of the general medical square, the transport service and the creation of an accessibility cabinet.
Thus, with regard to the first issue, he has highlighted the coverage of the general medical plaza under an interim regime. “A demand much demanded by residents and relatives and that we are fortunate to be able to enjoy the service of a doctor of tomorrow, whose incorporation took place on July 3, and a doctor of afternoon,” he said.
In addition, “we continue to work for the incorporation of a medical specialist in geriatrics having opened the offer already at the national level hoping to cover it as soon as possible,” he said.
With regard to the second issue, Aznar has reported that, since last week, the Residence’s Day Centre already has a driving and transport service, which is especially important since “the families, despite the obvious need, ended up giving up the service because they did not have the possibility to transfer the family member to the Residence and pick him up in the afternoon”. In this way, he said, “it would facilitate access to the resource and its substantial improvement.”
Regarding the third achievement, and in response to the demand of groups such as CERMI, Paliativo, Asociación contra el Cancer or Aspanies, and taking into account the enormous importance of facilitating accessibility, “we have proceeded to create an accessibility cabinet that can not only report on different products related to accessibility but also proceed to the management of loans”, he reported.
This last service has already begun to be carried out with the loan of a series of articulated beds for the palliative area, he explained. “We hope very soon to be able to make a catalogue of instruments that we have available to improve accessibility and to be able to manage a generous transfer of them, always being close to and at the service of citizens,” he added.
Finally, it has announced that on August 3, it will hold a meeting with the Director of the Residence, Ibrahim Molina, and the Sub-Directorate General of Madrid to create a joint assessment commission that analyzes the Residence’s places under the new model and where the gradual increase of the same is considered taking into account the improvements of technical means of help and the 18 professionals who joined the internship regime recently.