Inegalities and discrimination are more evident than ever in the coronavirus crisis. It is not being a mirror, this atypical situation is being a magnifying glass of inegality and discrimination. Among other things, the place of the elderly in our society, the lack of consideration when making decisions and, of course, the poor care system given to the elderly are being seen. Several intellectuals of the French State have published the “Coronavirus: On March 25, the newspaper Le Monde published the text “The call to impede the evil brutality that says that the old should defend themselves less”. They put the ethical principle of the right to life at the forefront: “That the elderly person, by himself and in total freedom, give priority to young people, if he wishes, by agreement. But, on the pretext that he has fewer years of life, it is the unexpected prospect of the state and society deciding.”

The proportion of people who died in nursing homes is significant: In Bizkaia, 62% of the deaths are residents and in Navarre more than half. Basque Country is no exception, they have the same reality in many peoples. This is not the only reason why it cannot be denied that people are more vulnerable because of age or other diseases. The change that this sector has undergone in recent years also means that the coronavirus has not been able to hinder its expansion. It is not because of the shortage of staff or work, but because of the shortage of staff and resources.

Privatisation of residences

This situation is the result of the decision taken by States in recent decades to reduce public service. The increase in life expectancy increases the older population. Thus, it has become an expenditure for States to meet the needs of that population, while the private sector has seen a source of productive income. The trend in recent years is simple: the public sector is not demand-oriented and the private sector is creating new venues. “With a little control, with a better ratio between workers and residents and with better working conditions, what is happening today would not have happened,” says the conservative Eduardo Arriolabengoa Abasolo. He is well aware of the reality of nursing homes, since for years he has visited his mother more than once a week. “One of the most important problems is that there are few caregivers. In the end, they have time to feed, do everyday cleaning and little more. It's not that caregivers mistreat them, they don't have time. More agents are needed and more personal attention needs to be given to older people.” It says that the sector must be public or not, because it is a way to ensure quality service. However, it points out that if the institutions follow the path of privatization, the conditions must be much tougher (ratios, working conditions, facilities and training, among others) and, of course, an audit to ensure that conditions are respected. “The conditions required of private individuals are very modest, if the right conditions were the current residences could not be opened.”

A significant number, that of the EE.UU, which are at the forefront of the road to the dismantling of the public service and at a lower pace, except for exceptions, because the other States are on the same path, dogged or forced by the World Trade Organization. In the United States, 94% of nursing homes are private.

Although there is a lot of talk about the elderly in the homes, there are many elderly who are isolated in their homes. Quality public service is also essential for them. This is the case of Maixan Arbelbide, an 87 year old woman living alone in Baiona: “I still have autonomy like mine and I live my waste quite well. The present situation does not alter my life too much, even though what is happening will shake. Worried, I've come to help, neighborhood or other structures, but I'm proud of my autonomy, and they understand it." When asked about the work of the authorities, it is expressed without regard: “They have to make the way because the elderly are not considered urgent, except to facilitate marginalization and isolation.” The older they are, there are elderly people linked to the autonomy they want to steal. As could not be otherwise, the issue of the hard working conditions of the workers of the houses comes to the table, once again with the coronavirus.

Obsolescence

“I think indiscretion has become clear. ‘It’s not a problem, only for the elderly and for those who have pathologies it’s a risk’ was heard, it was terrible; politicians have realized that this is how they could not speak and has become more flexible over time, but at first! ‘If you have to kill some old ones, that they die,’ I would say that’s what the old ones have received,’ says feminist anthropologist Mari Luz Esteban. Group of discrimination, segregation and contempt based on age or age. The negative image of the elderly channeled by society is also part of old age: in fact, it is weak, dependent and fragile. This image is the hegemonic one, which retains diversity in old age. “The old is seen as a problem, when talking about old age, it is spoken as a subject that needs to be cared for and not the other way around. However, the old people take care of it, they are doing politics. The pensioners’ struggle has been interesting, because we have had another image of pensioners. But in the confinement of the coronavirus this dimension has disappeared and the pathology dimension, the dependence one, has reappeared,” warns Esteban.

Of course, the result of laziness would be the realisation of what the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced: keeping the old confined until December. Three thousand citizens of the world are feeling the psychological, emotional and physical consequences of confinement, whether they are less or social animals, because confinement affects us. In the words of von der Leyen, "they would be about to be vital." How can we see the confinement of the elderly until December as a solution? How is it possible that nowadays the old people remain isolated in their bedrooms, cutting any contact with the other colleagues of the residence, without visits? How is it that the authorities do not allocate the aid to make the confinement more habitable? Masks and tests, of course, but installing computers could be a way to allow conversations with family members. It has been done by area, but it has not been the result of a political measure that it has described as decisive.

Jérôme Pellissier, Vice-President of the Observatory of Old Age in France, looks with suspicion at the deconfinement of the elderly: “Do we work because they don’t think socially that it’s not a problem to get isolated? If it really is a protective measure, you have to look at risk and not age, because age does not mean anything. I mean, what age are we talking about?” This question is of great importance: When do we get old? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), for example, 60 years have passed. This is problematic, on the one hand, because vulnerability to this age is not synonymous with old age, so, as Pellissier says, we have to look at risk and not age, and on the other, because between the 60's and 70's, 80's or 90's, there is a big difference. In general, Pellissier sees the reflection of the indifference that exists in society in measures to deal with the coronavirus: “Almost all the policies that have been adopted for the elderly are paternalistic, have not been reflected and decided upon with them”. As if at an age, a person lost the status of a subject. Pellissier makes comparisons to warn of the situation: “Does the virus infect men more, so decontainment in May is for women and in June for men?Have those who are overweight been more affected by confinement for them until September? It is not represented, however for the elderly it is.”

Finally, the French president has left behind to defer his protests: from May 11, the confinement for the elderly will not be forced, but “advised”.

Dignity in death

This isolation means that those who die from coronavirus die in isolation. The scarcity of protective material leads to the death of only coronavirus carriers. It is being very hard for the grieving process of his relatives and, of course, for the deceased it is harder to pass in solitude the fears, pains, last-minute concerns, the continuations of life and fears. “The end of a dignified life is a dignified death and we must try to maintain that principle, even in these difficult situations,” says the association Right to Die Dignified. Esteban shares this principle and says that it “surprises” that there is not, or very little, any social movement to guarantee that right. He says that we need to look at ways of guaranteeing law. “If you have a family member who needs a kidney, it’s possible for a family member to be prepared to donate the kidney. If we now think you have a very bad person, it can be a similar experience: as you are willing to donate the kidney, you can be prepared to take the risk of being infected, always taking precautions and choosing the best, let's say the youngest. I don't know if you can do these things, but why not? If at any given time people are ready, why not? I think there will be a lot of people willing to take the risk: my mother, my father, my aunt or whatever you want is dying, I am willing to be infected and at least I will say goodbye.”

Need for vision change

Will the coronavirus crisis serve us to make an assessment of ageing policies? Will the authorities be responsible for drawing conclusions and setting out new directions? Is it going to serve us to revolutionize the realm of care? Will the proposals drawn up by the crisis table on the care of feminist movements in the Basque Country be taken into account? “In general, society – not just the politician – has not sufficiently appreciated the work of surveillance. I guess this pandemic is going to help you figure out how much work there is, how many people there are and what situation it is -- or I'd like it to be that way. It must also be turned around. Politicians will also have to talk about it and will have to invent other paths and another system” says Arriolabengoa Abasolo. Vigilance, public service and decent working conditions for workers in this sector. In addition, Esteban sees the need to assert old age individually but above all collectively: “The first movement is to recognize that I am aging, that I have death nearby, and to look from there the question: What am I going to do with all of this? It's spoken, but on a very private level. Seeing, talking, discussing: there will be different hopes, diversity must be underlined. Another way to look at things.” He has launched a nice appeal in the “Mujika Manifesto” published in his last book with the same headline. The feminist movement also considers it essential to think more about this issue. Pellissier adds another idea: ending addiction, paternalistic tendencies and infantilization of the elderly.