Amavir, company managing the Tías (Lanzarote) elderly residence, has reported to Justice the recording of videos and images that violate the dignity of residents of the center by a group of its workers, who shared them through a WhatsApp group. The company, after the investigation carried out to identify the authors of those images, is also going to proceed to open the corresponding disciplinary files to remove these professionals.
This was announced this morning by the general director of Amavir, Lourdes Rivera, to the Minister of Social Welfare of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Marci Acuña, in a meeting held at the headquarters of the ministry to address the news published these days about the state of the residences of Tías and Haría.
Amavir acknowledges the existence in recent months of specific deficiencies in the centers, which may have affected their correct functioning, but categorically denies the image being conveyed about the supposed neglect or abandonment of elderly people, because "it does not correspond to reality and is generating great alarm among users and relatives."
The biggest problem is linked to the lack of staff. At the moment, they assure that the permanent staff of the residences are relatively stable (only a few hours of medicine and physiotherapy are missing), but there is a structural problem of lack of professionals in the sector, especially on the island, which enormously complicates management, coupled with a very high absenteeism rate (almost 20%).
At the meeting, all the information about the actions developed in recent years, with significant investments, has been offered to the Cabildo, and it has been agreed to urgently elaborate an action plan to accelerate the correction of deficiencies that might still subsist, especially in the areas of maintenance, human resources, and endowments.
Amavir has launched a message of reassurance to its users and families. The company "reinforces its commitment to them, as it has been doing during these almost 20 years of management, and will put all means at its disposal to regain trust and steer the situation of the residences". As they have explained to the counselor, "it is very painful to see that the work developed during all these years is being undermined, years in which such important achievements have been made as being among the first residences in all of the Canary Islands to have quality and environmental certificates or to be accredited as restraint-free centers".
