Eight residences for the elderly managed by the amma group in the Community of Madrid have received accreditation as Free centers of clampsgranted by the Spanish Confederation of Organizations for the Elderly (CEOMA), within the framework of its program Untie the Elderly and the Alzheimer’s Patient.
Specifically, the residences Valdebernardo, Puente de Vallecas, Colmenar, Coslada, Alcorcón, Humanes, Pozuelo and Villanueva de la Cañada, joining two other Amma centers that already held this accreditation. In this way, they are already ten Amma’s residences free from restraintswhich means that these centers do not use any type of physical restraint.
He Three years ago, it acquired the commitment to achieve certification as “restraint-free centers” for all its residences. As stated javier romeroCEO of Amma, “Moved by the idea of improving the quality of life of our users every day, at Amma three years ago we made a strategic decision: to convert all our centers into restraint-free (…). The work has not been easy. We have had to overcome many barriers, resistance to change, fears… First, from the professionals who work in the centers themselves and, later, from the families. The effort has been enormous, your commitment tremendous, and the result very satisfactory.”.
And to achieve this, during this time they have been carried out in residences training and awareness tasksboth professionals and family members, who have begun with a diagnosis of the situation and a detailed analysis, case by case, of all the residents with restraints.
In addition, this challenge has also implied the adaptation of the environments residences and the acquisition of materials (special beds, armchairs, mats…) to be able to work according to the characteristics required by each user.
Historically, Spain has been one of the countries in the world with the highest percentage of use of restraints in residences elderly and even in hospitals. The belief has been established that these restraints provide greater security for residents and their families and that they help prevent falls, but the evidence shows that this does not have to be the case and, furthermore, The risks involved in this practice have not always been assessed for the quality of life of the elderly.
For years, numerous studies, both national and international, have been proving that the elimination of these restraints can lead to improvements in the physical and psychological state of the residents. And so it is also being recognized in Spain by professional entities such as the Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology and different public administrations.
Amma joins the challenge of equal opportunities and non-discrimination
In another order of things, the Amma Group is also in the news since it has adhered to the Manifesto of the I March for Equal Opportunities, Non-Discrimination and Equal Treatment in the Labor Fieldorganized by .
The manifest is inserted into the project «Social Business Challenge for labor insertion: Alliances«, within the framework of the 2014-2020 Social Inclusion and Social Economy Operational Program of . This manifesto includes the need to continue advancing towards a responsible and supportive society that allows people at risk of exclusion to be an active part of it, reducing the weight of stereotypes, prejudices and social undervaluation, and promoting their access to the job market.
The points of the manifesto are the following:
- move towards a responsible and caring society through dialogue and the exchange of real experiences that allow people at risk of exclusion to be an active part of our society, reducing the weight of stereotypes, prejudices and social undervaluation.
- Work comprehensively in the improvement of the living conditions of the most socially vulnerable peoplewhich requires the active involvement of companies (Business Challenge) and of all actors in the labor market and citizens (Social Challenge), trying to consider all the sensitivities that are put into play.
- Accept that only through dialogue and active involvement aforementioned, it is possible to achieve in a real and effective way the reconciliation of personal, family and work life, as well as to overcome discrimination based on gender.
- believe in the capabilities and not in stereotypes as instruments for labor insertion and social inclusion.
- identify through a dialectical and creative process the barriers that companies can associate with hiring these people, discovering different ways to answer the questions we ask ourselves when we talk about labor inclusion, as well as finding solutions that allow us to eliminate the obstacles that may appear.