A call to defend the rights of and for informal carers

  

© Trudi van Dorp

There are many people (the elderly) who require care in the municipality of Benitachell.

The OAC’s Social Services department provides a professional and helpful service, although the procedure for obtaining support is somewhat lengthy and that official announcements from the government in Valencia, reach the patient after the care service has already started, so that the actual start of the care can be quite a ‘ surprise’indeed.

When care is provided, it is limited to five days a week; no care service is offered at weekends or on public holidays.We also noticed that there is no arrangement in place to substitute for professional carers who, for whatever reason, cannot come over to the patient.

It is assumed that family members will take on the role of informal carers on the days and at the times when professional home care is not provided.

However, many people — particularly foreign nationals — have no one who can look after them when necessary.

We therefore propose the following:

• To spread the allocated hours across all seven days of the week. For example, five allocated hours could be divided into ten 30-minute sessions spread over seven days.
• Provide the detailed and useful information of Asistenzia in English/ French and maybe other languages.
• That Asistenzia’s care staff work a five-day week spread across all seven days of the week, following a model similar to that commonly used in care homes.
• Follow the example of countries such as the Netherlands, where people in need of care receive support seven days a week, even if it is only for half an hour per visit.
• Maintain a record-keeping system — such as a handover log — so that carers are kept informed of the tasks carried out and of any suggestions, and to allow informal carers to provide their feedback as well.
• Organise monthly reviews with all parties involved, accompanied by written reports, with digital versions as well, to ensure clear and transparent operations.

In legal and social terms, we are referring to the Dependency Act (Law 39/2006 on the Promotion of Personal Autonomy and Care for People in a Situation of Dependency), although its ultimate aim is, paradoxically, to guarantee the greatest possible independence and dignity for the service user.

 Care knows no days off: The need for home care 7 days a week

Care for people with dependency is neither a temporary service nor a Monday-to-Friday job: **it is a vital need that arises 365 days a year**. For thousands of people in vulnerable situations or with severe dependency, home care is the cornerstone upon which their dignity, physical health and emotional stability rest.

Restricting support to working days creates a critical gap at weekends that directly undermines the effectiveness of the Dependency Act for several key reasons:

1. Basic needs don’t take weekends off: Activities of daily living (ADLs) —such as getting out of bed, personal hygiene, managing medication, feeding or repositioning to prevent pressure sores— are constant. The interruption of care at the weekend leaves the person in a situation of helplessness or neglect if they do not have a family network that can take on this burden.
2. Preventing family carers from becoming overwhelmed: One of the key aims of the Dependency Act is to protect families as well. When public services are unavailable on Saturdays and Sundays, the responsibility falls exclusively on family members. Without relief or continuous professional support, the onset of **caregiver burnout** is accelerated, leading to physical strain, anxiety and exhaustion amongst those closest to the person.
3. Maintaining routine and mental health: For elderly people or those with neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer’s or various forms of dementia), stability and routine are crucial. Disrupting the care routine for two days a week can lead to episodes of disorientation, distress and setbacks in the independence achieved through daily care.
4. Ensuring dignity and continued residence in one’s own home: The aim of home care is to prevent or delay premature admission to care homes. 

Ensuring that a carer is available seven days a week enables the person requiring care to remain safely in their own home, respecting their wish to grow old or recover in their own environment, surrounded by their memories.

Conclusion: 

Providing home care seven days a week is neither a luxury nor a dispensable expense, but an essential adjustment to ensure that social protection is effective, equitable and truly person-centred.

© Trudi van Dorp. All rights reserved.