A new project gets under way to combat unwanted loneliness in the neighbourhoods of Verdum, Trinitat Nova, Prosperitat, El Carmel and Can Baró as part of the Neighbourhood Plan. The move builds further on the measures taken last year in the Zona Nord (Ciutat Meridiana, Torre Baró and Vallbona), which helped save 25 people from loneliness.
This Neighbourhood Plan project against unwanted loneliness began with the creation of an interdisciplinary and inter-departmental group made up of all the stakeholders able to intervene and forming part of social services, in each of the areas where the initiative is to be implemented:
- Social services
- Primary medical centres
- Centres for the elderly
- Homes for the elderly
- Day centres
- Libraries
- Community centres in the neighbourhoods
- Barcelona Public Health Agency
- District Councils for these areas (Nou Barris and Horta-Guinardó)
- Community plans
- Local people in the neighbourhoods in question who know of an elderly person in this situation and wish to notify the project
A needs analysis will be made of each of the areas so that specific steps can be planned to match these needs, as well as the interests and demands of the group of people in question.
The group will be local in character, complemented with a specialist figure for each neighbourhood, who will be tasked with implementing the various specific measures with the senior citizens they are working with.
The project comes within the roll-out of the Municipal Strategy to Combat Loneliness 2020-2030, specifically under the Action Plan 2020-2024.