There are approximately 200 elderly people waiting for a place in a nursing home on Terceira Island. This information comes from João Canedo, president of the Regional Union of Private Social Solidarity Institutions of the Azores (URIPSSA), who is calling for an increase in the number of places contracted by the Regional Government.

“We have managed to reduce the waiting list with the New Elderly program, the day center, and home support, but even so, we still have an average of 200 people on the waiting list on Terceira Island,” he said in statements to DI.

Currently, there is centralized management of places on the islands of Terceira and São Miguel, where the numbers are more significant. However, the lack of places in residential facilities for the elderly (ERPI) is widespread throughout the archipelago, given the aging population. “We estimate that there are 200 people on the waiting list for ERPI on Terceira Island. That’s a lot of people waiting to be admitted to a nursing home,“ João Canedo emphasized.

The president of URIPSSA argues that the Regional Government must start thinking about creating more places in nursing homes to meet real needs. ”The New Elderly have improved the lives of a group of people, and that’s great, but there are also other people who really want to be in a nursing home because they want to be accompanied,” he pointed out.

According to João Canedo, nursing homes are no longer seen as “asylums,” and many people want to be there. “People are starting to ask to go to nursing homes because they are accompanied throughout the day. They have nurses, assistants, entertainment. They have other activities during the day that they don’t have at home,” he explained.

With increased life expectancy, an increasing number of elderly individuals reside in nursing homes for longer periods. That is why the president of URIPSSA insists that the number of places needs to be increased.

The solution may be to expand the existing nursing homes on the island, provided they do not become too large, or to build new facilities of a size that ensures their sustainability.

“Nursing homes with 14 and 15 residents are too small, and it is not even possible to manage them properly. They should have at least 25 to 30 residents in order to be sustainable and provide a certain quality of service,” he argued.

In Diário Insular-José Lourenço-director

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.