The Social Security Institute has decreed the closure of Lar Delicado Raminho, after completing the inspection work started on Monday. The ISS says in a statement that in this context “it started the process of transferring users in collaboration with their family members”. The order to close this residence for the elderly in Vimeiro, in the municipality of Lourinhã, results from the confirmation of “several of the reported situations”.
Over the weekend, a report by SIC denounced situations of mistreatment and neglect, indicating, among other things, and according to a former employee, that meals were only made with leftovers and there was a lack of hot water for bathing.
It was on Monday that the Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho, announced an urgent inspection of this nursing home in Lourinhã, in this case which also led the Public Ministry to open an inquiry, as confirmed on Tuesday by the Attorney General of the Republic.
In a balance sheet presented to the parliamentary committee on Work, Social Security and Inclusion, Ana Mendes Godinho reported that last year, 117 nursing homes were closed, 22 of which “immediately”. The minister also said that in 2022, 674 nursing homes were inspected, making this “the year with the highest number of inspection actions ever”.
Nearly 100 every year
According to information previously provided to PÚBLICO, 98 homes had been closed in 2021 and 105 in 2020.
Already in 2020, Social Security identified 788 illegal homes. The Home Support Association of Homes and Rest Houses (ALI), chaired by João Ferreira de Almeida, has been saying every year that these data reflect only part of reality. “When Social Security says it has closed 100 homes, it has not in fact closed, because most are unfulfilled orders. About 90% of these are unfulfilled closure orders”, he said to PÚBLICO in 2021.
Before fulfilling the effective closure of a residence for the elderly, the Social Security Institute is called upon to guarantee reception in alternative equipment for users whose families are unable to assume this responsibility.
There are different degrees of action depending on the severity of the situation. The home can be closed urgently, or you can receive notice to close within 30 days. It can happen after complaints or when there are proven situations of negligence by the teams of the district Social Security centers during periodic visits. In this case, the closure resulted from an inspection carried out after the complaint.