HOPE
Reageren op hittegolven in het ecosysteem van ouderen
Meso
Main result
Prevention system
Title
Idosos em Segurança (Older Adults in safety)
Date 2013 – present.
Objectives
The aim of this project is to fight older adults’ isolation by promoting frequent local visits to people living with limited access to resources and information.
Location /geographical coverage
Matosinhos, Portugal
Organisation responsible for good practice
Municipal Police of Matosinhos
Stakeholders and partners
The Municipal Police of Matosinhos, in the exercise of administrative police duties, is responsible for supervising the area of their jurisdiction, in compliance with the laws and regulations, in regard to Municipality matters. Municipal police is a connected service from the local government body, therefore public, social and governmental institutions can be seen as stakeholders of this project.
Short summary
Since 2013 the Municipal Police of Matosinhos have been developing the project
“Idosos em Segurança” (Older Adults in safety), which aims to check on isolated
older adults, living in distant locations from the city centre and thus living with low access to health and care services, more exposed to potential risk situations, and having fewer social connections, information and resources. The Matosinhos Police not only provides home visits twice a week to older adults living in such conditions, but also provides a phone number which they can call anytime, being available 24/7, as well as an IT home placed device that when pressed by the older adults issues an automatic alert that allows the access to emergency services such as ones related to health, security, and solitude emergencies.
Impact
Older adults are more likely to be socially isolated than some groups, as they are less likely to have occupations and may lack other community involvement. Empirical studies have documented the increased risk of morbidity and mortality due to extreme heat among older people. Older populations tend to be concentrated in rural areas where usually the reality of these settings has factors like social isolation and lack of transport or services which can increase the risk of heat illness substantially. In the scope of the Idosos em Segurança project, the Matosinhos Municipal Police approached in 2022 an average of 100 older adults in such living conditions. The older adults were followed-up by Police officers whose routine consisted in visiting them at least twice a week at their homes, making an estimated 4000 visits that year. Phone calls were added to the intervention and made a huge contribution on older adults’ needs, corresponding to 754 phone calls in 2022. In addition, 36 older adults have benefited from the IT home placed device having an impact on a more immediate response to surging emergencies. The attendance to this vulnerable population has resulted in more emotionally accompanied older adults, a guarantee of their security in potential abusive approaches and behaviours
against them and has been promoting a more informed population on how to deal with potential risks and uncertain situations through awareness-raising campaigns (e.g., giving advice on how to deal with extreme heat). In line with this, a potential benefit with no evidence basis as of now may be the relief of pressure on early responders and health care facilities during periods of extreme heat.
Innovation
Home visits are based not only in providing security and emotional support to older adults but are also based on sharing important information for their well-being. In times of emerging disruptive situations such as heatwaves, Police Officers alongside public authorities and social services can make a significant impact by providing anticipated information on potential upcoming heatwaves, supporting them on how to deal with extreme heat, and by regularly checking on people when these heatwaves occur.
Lessons learned
The idea of having Police Officers helping and checking on isolated older adults is by itself an innovation on building a resilient world where extreme heat will take place. We as a society must be aware of this challenge and have our cities prepared to adapt to these conditions. Police officers alongside public authorities, community organisations and social services can provide information regarding alert levels and corresponding risk reduction actions to isolated older adults who can’t access this information easily.
Sustainability
Mitigating the risks of increasing extreme heat events for older adults requires the development and promotion of public resources for coping during these periods. Public and governmental authorities are showing increasing concern with people living in vulnerable situations. The acknowledgment of vulnerability as being related to social location and access to resources is fundamental when thinking of building resilience in times of extreme heat. People living in these conditions, such as older adults, are certainly in a vulnerable position towards the surge of heatwaves, and public and social institutions' responses must make their way to prevent adverse health impacts. Improving communication about available resources, building social connections and reducing inequality can help promote better resilience among older adults during disruptive situations. Heat waves are one of the complex problems faced by this vulnerable public and Police Officers alongside other stakeholders are helping to prevent negative impacts by providing information to older adults about the heat conditions and checking on them in periods of extreme heat.
Replicability and/or up-scaling
As said above, building resilience in communities is fundamental in times of
upcoming disruptive situations, such as extreme heat. The actions taken by
Matosinhos Municipal Police in regard to the Matosinhos local government
directorates sustain that purpose by helping older adults in vulnerable situations to have a better and more rapid response to emergencies. Having public and
governmental institutions related to this kind of intervention makes it easier to be replicable in other countries, where national, regional, and local governmental and public institutions can activate their Police Institutions to extend this practice on their own territories, having in mind their own needs and expectations, but mostly contemplating a better response to the surge of heatwaves and other potential disruptive scenarios. Nevertheless, a potential approach of governmental institutions can consist in expanding this idea more widely, by activating other public and social services, as well as other security forces in the community to provide a rapid response in presence of extreme heat (e.g.: firefighters, military forces, and relevant others).
Contact details
Rua de Goa, s/n 4454-505
Matosinhos 229383427
Related Web site(s)
https://www.cm-matosinhos.pt/servicos-municipais/policia-municipal