The City Council awards a 1.7 million euro contract for the home help service, which improves benefits for users

The contract, which includes as a novelty a 24-hour service point for incidents, is formalized for a period of four years.

The Estepona City Council informs that the home help service, which is aimed at users who have a recognized degree of dependency, will be expanded with new services in the new contract that has been awarded for a budget of 1.7 million euros (VAT included).

The Consistory has formalized the new contract with the joint venture OHL Servicios-Ingesan, a nationwide entity specialized in dependency care. The duration of the contract will be four years, with the possibility of an extension of one more year.

Among the improvements that this service will offer from now on is the increase of technical assistance that will facilitate the movements of the users in their homes with new additional material to the obligatory number. Thus, the Consistory will have 25 electric orthopedic lifts of up to 180 kilos, in addition to the compulsory ones; another 30 elevating articulated beds with handrails, plus 30 anti-decubitus mattresses also in addition to those provided; 40 more shower and toilet chairs with wheels; as well as another 40 devices to help with ambulation (walkers, crutches and canes). There will also be artificial intelligence home devices that include virtual assistants, voice control and motion sensors.

One of the most important new features included in the new contract is the implementation of the User Service Center, which will enable consultation and speed up incidents, guaranteeing answers to them with 24-hour service 365 days a year through a toll-free number.

The home help service will also be improved with the implementation of a series of evaluation methods that will directly and continuously test the level of satisfaction of users, family caregivers and workers. To this must be added the implementation of a Quality Plan by the entity to review the correct operation of the service and thus guarantee that it is provided in accordance with the standards set out in the current regulations.

Another of the novelties of the service is the annual offer of 10 complementary shock cleanings to those foreseen as compulsory, an economic fund of 60,000 additional Euros, 1,200 additional annual pedicure and manicure services, and as many others of podiatry and hairdressing.

On the other hand, other benefits offered by the home-help service include a 50-hour continuous training or recycling plan for the company’s auxiliary personnel, as well as a community participation and leisure program for users, caregivers and family members, with 10 activities and/or workshops per year.

With respect to improvements in the conditions for the provision of the tasks of the service assistants, the new company undertakes to establish an Equality Plan and a Work-Life Balance Plan.

Improved quality of life

In direct relation to the improvement in the quality of life of the users, OHL-INGESAN offers the participation in the project VERA, Virtual Social Center for five beneficiaries. It will also make available to the service two devices of the OTIOM program for the promotion of autonomy for the onset of dementia and location of people with Alzheimer’s and/or cognitive impairment by GPS signal. Five adapted games are also offered: Motor Dexterity Exerciser, Giant Tactile Dominoes, Sensory Stimulation Set and Wrist Exercisers.

The Home Help Service (SAD) is a social benefit designed to help people with limited autonomy or in a situation of vulnerability who need support at home, to stay in the usual home with appropriate conditions of coexistence in their family and community environment. In Estepona it serves about 650 people and has 180 workers.

The home help service is a social benefit granted and financed by the Junta de Andalucía and managed by the local councils within the framework of the Dependency Law. It guarantees the permanence in the home of dependent people through comprehensive and specific care with qualified and supervised personnel who carry out a set of preventive, training, rehabilitative and care actions for people and cohabitation units with difficulties to remain or develop in their usual living environment.

In order to guarantee the best quality of service, the City Council drew up a set of specifications that included special solvency, experience and professionalism requirements for the company awarded the contract.

Once the contract with the company has been formalized, the home help aides of the municipal staff will be subrogated and will continue to perform their duties with the same economic and working conditions as at present. As for the salaries of the staff hired by the concessionaire to meet the increasing demand of users, they will be adapted to the stipulated by the regulations approved by the Junta de Andalucía.

On the other hand, note that the regional administration, which regulates the provision of home help service, offers the possibility that it can be tendered to ensure better compliance. In this regard, has indicated that the concessionaire will be subject to continuous monitoring by both the City Council and the Junta de Andalucía, responsible for funding the home help service.

Finally, reiterate that the interest of the Consistory is to ensure the welfare of the most vulnerable groups in the city, so the municipal budget this year includes an item of more than six million euros for social spending.