The José Villarreal Municipal Day Centre is equipped with 110 specialised places for the care of individuals over 60 years old with cognitive decline. José Fernández, the delegate for Social Policies, Family and Equality, accompanied by the councillor for Arganzuela, Lola Navarro, visited the centre today to observe a training and awareness project for professionals working there, utilising the GERT age simulation suit.
This innovative equipment simulates various physical and sensory limitations associated with aging, fostering empathy among professionals towards users and aiding in the adaptation of support to meet their needs. The suit includes weights, joint limiters, and visual, auditory, and mobility simulators, allowing professionals to experience firsthand the challenges that elderly individuals face in daily activities.
Through this experience, professionals can identify the barriers users encounter and enhance the person-centred care provided in municipal resources. The initiative is supported by Ilunion, which manages 32 day centres for the Madrid City Council.
During the visit, Fernández and Navarro also explored the centre's facilities, including a newly established sensory stimulation room among other recently renovated spaces. The City Council operates 65 day centres throughout the city, offering socio-sanitary, preventive, and rehabilitative care for older adults with physical or cognitive decline, aiming to improve their quality of life as well as that of their families and caregivers.
These centres provide services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nursing, and psychology, alongside activities designed to combat unwanted loneliness. Additionally, they ensure users receive meals and adapted transport from their homes. Currently, these 65 centres offer nearly 3,800 places, supplemented by another 955 in private centres also funded by the City Council.
