Training day at Age Care Association

Fri, Nov 19 2010

Training day at Age Care Association

Age Care working in association with La Cala Lions Diabetes support group.

Charles Betty, President of Age Care Association, welcomed the volunteers to the Training Day which was held at the Hotel Tamisa Golf and introduced the two patrons, Baroness Golding from the House of Lords and Mr Bruce McIntyre, MBE.

Mr McIntyre gave a talk about the problems facing the Age Care Association in the current economic situation. A great many of the British pensioners living on the Costa del Sol are now in their late 70`s and 80`s and have difficulty in managing financially, some are ill or frail or suffering from other problems and often have no close relatives to help them. There is a growing problem facing the authorities on what to do for these pensioners and the best way to help them. Some pensioners have difficulty accessing pensions and benefits and need to contact the relevant department at the British consulate for further help.

It is very important to note that unless residents have registered with their E121 in the Spanish Health System it is only possible to receive emergency treatment in extreme cases. Many elderly residents require assistance with language especially in medical centres and hospitals and also to access the social help. This help can only be provided through the Spanish system where one has to be registered on the “Padrón”, otherwise you can only access care privately which will cost a great deal of money. This is covered by “La Ley de Dependencia”.

Mr David Graham took the floor to explain what is covered by “La Ley de Dependencia” and how it can be accessed to provide care or help for elderly residents who are entitled to receive help from social services. It should be noted that some of the Ayuntamientos are holding informative talks on how to understand and access “La Ley de Dependencia”.

Charles Betty thanked the speakers and gave a brief explanation of how funds raised are used to help people living in the area. He then went on to explain how Age Care works closely with other help organisations often on the same case. Charles pointed out that Age Care Association is not an emergency service and is staffed only by volunteers on a part-time basis; in cases of emergency you must dial 061.

About Age Care Association

Age Care Association is a fully registered, non-profit making organisation staffed entirely by volunteers. Our Spanish registration number is 6282 – CIF – G92487602 (Registro de Asociaciones de Andalucia). The majority of our work is helping older British people living in the Province of Malaga, but we do not exclude other nationalities that speak English. We provide welfare information, practical support and two help lines (Telephones: 691761088, and 655903182). The Association also has a hospital and home visiting team. Other volunteers visit people in Care Homes when necessary. As part of our work we have repatriated some individuals to the UK, where there are more caring facilities and access to benefits unavailable in Spain. Some of our volunteers have had careers in nursing, education, psychology and other caring professions and are accustomed to listening in a sympathetic and kind manner. We work closely with the British Consulate, Royal British Legion, and branches of the International Lions.