Caring for those who care

August 15 2022 (15:27 WEST)

The care crisis has been talked about for years. It is common to look for the causes in the incorporation of women into the labor market and the aging of the population. But the reality is that in general neither society, nor the Public Administrations, nor the political management have been up to the evolution of our society.

Every day, in my job as a Social Worker, I hear the desperation of people who dedicate themselves to the care of their relatives, whether they are children, adults, elderly people with disabilities and/or dependency. I see hopelessness, exhaustion and resignation in their eyes. Tired of bureaucratic procedures, of pilgrimages, of going from professional to professional to obtain, after some years, a minimum of recognition and economic resources that in no case cover what they need.

This should make us ask, where is the respite and self-care time for the caregiver? And when you have a child with a developmental disorder such as autism or a serious chronic illness, who will offer the specific care they need if not their parents? And when it is an elderly person in bed who does not have enough money to hire a caregiver and it is their spouse who cares 24 hours, who will take care of their care so that the caregiver can have time for themselves?

The Canary Islands Law on Social Services that came into force in 2019 reflects the figure of personal assistants, and provides the necessary services for the elderly to be in their homes as long as possible with family respite programs. Similarly, current education legislation includes the figure of the educational assistant as support in the classrooms.

I wonder, in Lanzarote and, by extension, in the Canary Islands, do we apply the current legislation? Do we apply care policies as do the countries and states of the EU? Because if applying it is having a home help service with a waiting list that can only go to the home for one hour every two days to bathe the dependent person; or having an educational assistant in the classroom some hours and some days a week, I already tell you that no, it is not applied.

Public Administrations must ensure that the services dedicated to the care of our people evolve. Advance in qualified personal assistance services to care for those who care with family respite programs and specific day centers.

It is imperative to provide relief time to family caregivers and provide resources and services. Because they also need to be cared for, and that is not achieved with a one-hour talk once a month that many cannot even attend because they do not have anyone who can be with their dependent family member. It is achieved by providing specific and specialized services and resources that replace the figure of the worn and exhausted person who has the right to a time that, although little, will always be more than nothing.

Let us not forget that when we talk about social policies, dependency and care, we are not only talking about the patient, but about the people who are also close to them and who, in many cases, are condemned to a life of confinement. They also have the right to be heard and cared for

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