The relatives of residents of the residences and day centers of Álava have claimed that daily visits can be made and that elderly people go out for walks in the street, as the consequences of isolation are being very serious and irreversible and in the face of COVID-19 "there is no zero risk".

A group of relatives have concentrated this Wednesday in front of the Foral Palace of Vitoria-Gasteiz with posters praying "No to the isolation of our elderly people", "Right to live the new normalcy like all others", "Freedom of movement for our residents" and "Elderly isolated at risk". In statements to the media, a spokesman acknowledged "the great effort made by the workers in the residences", but pointed out that the only objective of the Diputación and Lakua is to avoid coronavirus infections by the elderly and that it does not matter how.

“Zero risk does not exist,” they stressed. He also stressed that family members are not being "foolish" and that the family "is behaving normally". "We know the coronavirus is here, we have to take all the steps." He explained that they only request "dignified daily" visits to the elderly and go for walks with them to the street, not to the shopping centers, nor to the spaces of great affluence.

Residents of the residences, as they have explained, see people going down the street and don't understand why they can't get out on the street either. Finally, they regretted that "nothing has been done" to change the residence model, despite the fact that during the confinement the entity recognized this need.

Measures for Bizkaia

On Monday, the Protect Family and Resident Association sent a letter to Bizkaia Social Action Deputy, Sergio Murillo, to convey "the profound gravity that our companions and followers transmit to us" about the evolution of the pandemic in the homes of the elderly.

The foral deputy recalled that "the Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology was widely expressed in the media and warned that the reduction of mobility and social relationship has important negative consequences on the elderly".

"We want a guarantee that it will not be possible to kill the seriously ill without any contact with their relatives." In our opinion, it is essential to accompany the elderly at the end of their lives, but we also want to stress that it is as important to help in their life as in death", the letter states.