With the strategies included in the social assistance program aimed at this population, thousands of Neivans have benefited. In this regard, Diario del Huila consulted about the impact achieved and some initiatives that are causing concerns among some members of the council of the elderly.
DIARY OF HUILA, NEIVA
By: Angelica Andrade Quimbaya
Through the Social Protection Program for the Elderly, called “Colombia Mayor”, the Colombian state proposes the commitment to extend comprehensive protection to those who are part of this population group, developing as its main strategy the delivery of an economic subsidy for those who are find themselves homeless, do not have a pension or live in extreme conditions of poverty.
In addition to the above, since Law 687 of August 15, 2001, the criteria for comprehensive care of the elderly in Life Centers are established, stating in its Article 1 that: “The purpose of this law is to protect people of the elderly (or older adults) of levels I and II of Sisbén, through the Life Centers, as institutions that contribute to providing them with comprehensive attention to their needs and improving their quality of life”, consistently, in all Territorial entities of any level, which are collecting the stamp and developing strategies that offer the services indicated in this law, must allocate 70% of the resources for assistance and care in “Centros Vida”.
Regarding the aforementioned, the Secretary of Social Development and Inclusion of Neiva, René Jiménez Cobo, through an interview with Diario del Huila, disclosed the strategies that the municipal administration has been developing in order to benefit the elderly in the city of Neiva.
“The resource of the stamps comes from the year 2017, which allocates the percentage for what has to do with the Life Centers and the protection of the elderly, which includes support for funeral procedures and homes for those who do not have living place. Within the Development Plan we have goals and one of them is the construction of a farm that will allow us to mitigate the social impact on the elderly population, precisely to reduce the consequences of abandonment,” said René Jiménez Cobo, secretary of Social Development and Inclusion of Neiva.
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Strategies
To counteract the multiple needs that older people with limited resources may suffer, the Municipal Development Plan has raised the possibility of providing a farm that allows recreation, use of free time, contributes to a healthier mental health and adequate coexistence in the environments, seeking to improve the physical, spiritual and emotional conditions of the beneficiaries, as explained by the official.
“We are acting in accordance with the provisions of Article 15 of Agreement July 012, 2017, which involves improving the conditions of the elderly. This law talks about the regulation for the management of stamps that is aimed at Life Centers and long-stay centers that, in Neiva, are currently benefiting 65 older adults, a highly vulnerable population that does not have a support network , who were abandoned or due to difficult conditions, today we offer them a shelter so that they can live peacefully, where we provide them with all the psychosocial support, medical monitoring and all cultural and sports activities,” added Jiménez.
Added to the above is what is stipulated in Law 687 of 2001, which updates Law 48 of 1986, authorizing the aforementioned stamp for the endowment and operation of the Elderly Welfare Centers, institutions and life centers for the elderly, by which establishes the general provisions for all types of support for the elderly.
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The farm
Based on the concern that some members of the council of the elderly exposed to Diario del Huila, in response to the proposal of the municipal administration that involves the creation of a community farm, whose purpose is also associated with contributing to food security , the Secretary of Social Development and Inclusion of Neiva specified:
“Within the Development Plan we proposed the construction of the farm for which we have analyzed the purchase of the property in the Triunfo – Caguan area, but the cost is between 2 and 3 billion pesos, we have also reviewed lots from the administration municipal, identifying one that is on Care Perro that, due to its mountainous condition, is not viable for the farm. We also found a lot in the Carlos Pizarro neighborhood, which borders the Magdalena River, it is a very large site, approximately 3,000 m2 that, due to the risk space, would be close to 2,600 m2, giving us the opportunity to build the long-stay center,” said the official Jiménez.
After the technical analysis and the respective feasibility study, Jiménez argued that the land located in the Carlos Pizarro neighborhood conforms to the conditions of the proposal, which is why he proceeded to request the evaluation and land use certificate from the office planning to continue with the adaptation and coupling of the farm.
“Precisely the farm for the elderly is a set of projects in physical infrastructure, of a country nature, operational technique that is part of the welfare centers for the elderly aimed at providing decent conditions for shelter, food, recreation and all the care required for our older adults who need it and from there also, in the future, we are going to reduce costs a lot because being long-stay, we have an agreement with the operator but from the moment we have physical infrastructure, that cost will decrease to give even more coverage to those who are in conditions of vulnerability”, declared Jiménez.
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Regarding the methodology for the implementation of the farm, Jiménez asserted that they are developing previous studies to proceed with the respective enclosure: “The farm will have all the food that is self-sustaining, we are checking that it has a well to the issue of water and that there is also a part of solar lighting to be very ecological and that our older adults from various sectors and communes can come there to support us with this activity that would meet all the requirements that are stipulated. It is also sought that the elderly can obtain a resource that comes from the sale of the products, added to this we hope to have the long-stay center so that they can be there full time, “said Jiménez.
Consequently, Jiménez Cobo anticipates that the farm will be delivered at the end of this year, once the process pertinent to previous studies, land uses, licenses and tenders that would be carried out from mid-2023, approximately, is completed.
On the other hand, the agency pointed out that Neiva has four Vida Centers, whose headquarters are distributed in different areas of Neiva which, due to their location, receive the names: Manzanares, La Rebeca, Metropolitana and Eduardo Santos, infrastructure that is in the process of being remodeled. and adequacy.
“Each Life Center also covers several communes, where we provide care through satellite groups. Last year and so far this year, we have cared for 3,256 older adults in the urban area of Neiva and the rural area where we will be providing comprehensive care to our older adults, guaranteeing them not only food, but also providing them with all the psychological support and spiritual through physiotherapy, nursing assistants and all the sports and cultural issues that are required in the entire component of the Vida Centers”, affirmed the official.
Finally, Jiménez socialized that, at this moment they are registering as indicated in the municipal agreements: “We sent a letter to the entire community and the media to inform them that we are in the process of registering to start with our Vida Centers. Those interested must bring a photocopy of their identification document, belong to the subsidized regime and be in the established terms; It must be taken into account that, if the interested older adults do not register until the end of this month, it would no longer be a matter for us as an administration, but with the council. Here it is also necessary to clarify that the municipal administration is not in charge of excluding people from accessing the benefits, but rather, those who are not part of the program at this time, it is because they did not reach the call that was made, they did not However, at this moment we are serving 3,356 older adults”, concluded Jiménez.
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