Elche launches programme to support the elderly and combat loneliness

Elche City Council, through the Department of Childhood, Family and the Elderly, has launched the NES Code programme, a pioneering national service offering companionship, emotional and social support to residents over 70 in Elche who are experiencing unwanted loneliness and do not have severe cognitive impairment. The project will be developed by the Red Cross.

The Councillor for Family and the Elderly, Aurora Rodil, stated that this service "realises a project that began as a dream and is now a reality that will benefit the lonely elderly in this city." A project that started as a dream and is now a reality benefiting the lonely elderly in this city.

Rodil highlighted that in an increasingly ageing society, "many elderly people live alone and we are unaware of it, so this project can change their lives." She emphasised that the goal is to address unwanted loneliness proactively, with direct intervention and not just preventive measures, complementing current active ageing programmes.

The service includes companionship both inside and outside the home, with social activities, emotional support, and technological assistance. Each participant will have an individualised itinerary designed according to their personal situation, which may include neighbourhood routes to promote social integration, as well as adapted transport and stairlift systems to remove architectural barriers.

Scheduled home visits, telephone support, video calls, and the use of devices with screens and voice assistants are also planned, allowing users to stay connected and accompanied even when they cannot leave home.

The Mayor, Pablo Ruz, stated that the City Council "is the closest administration and the one best able to solve the real problems of the people." According to the Mayor, "we have a duty to help the most vulnerable in society, including the elderly, who have bequeathed us what we are."

Ruz added that this project "will contribute to a fairer society and adequate care for these people," highlighting that "this is social policy: accompanying, preventing unwanted loneliness, and extending true social justice in a city like Elche."

Meanwhile, the President of the Red Cross Elche expressed "the excitement of working on this challenge to combat unwanted loneliness." The project has a specialised team consisting of a driver, two assistants, a coordinator, two gerontology technicians, and one socio-cultural animation technician, in addition to the support of other Red Cross services.

The service has been awarded at 119,000 euros annually for two years, with the possibility of extending for another two. Interested individuals can request more information at the Department of the Elderly (San Isidro Street, 10, ground floor; phone 966 65 82 63) or at the Red Cross Elche headquarters (965 45 34 49).