An NGO said on Monday that it awaits the green light from the government for the funding and staffing of an alert service for the elderly.
Colloquially known as the ‘Red Button’, the mooted pager service sends out alerts to government agencies when a senior citizen needs assistance. The transmission records the location of the person in distress.
It’s an initiative spearheaded by the Third Age Observatory, a Limassol-based non-profit that provides care services for the elderly.
Dimos Antoniou, the CEO, told Politis newspaper that a budget for the service has been submitted to the deputy ministry of welfare. They were now waiting for the ministry to give the official go-ahead which would lock in the funding and begin the hiring process.
The intention is to launch the service on a trial basis sometime next year.
The plan envisages setting up a call centre, operating 24 hours a day. It would be staffed by psychologists, sociologists, social workers and volunteers trained in mental health issues.
According to Antoniou, in order for the service to work properly, various departments would need to cooperate – the fire department, the ambulance service, social services and the police.
If the project does get off the ground, it would operate on a trial basis for a few months. Once the kinks have been ironed out, the service would become a permanent one.
The budget is estimated at between €250,000 and €300,000 a year.
Antoniou said the programme will prioritise persons aged 70 and over and who live alone.
Asked how many people need such a service in Cyprus, he estimated the number at 30,000 to 40,000 over the next couple of years.
