Every evening with the count to zero is hopeful. Every dawn, anguished, in case in the usual and meticulous stroll through the rooms, the sound of an unusual cough in Claudio (fictitious name), 86, would set off alarms. The protocol is the protocol . Almost like when you start the engine of your car and hear an unknown metallic noise, back there. Something is wrong. Protocol.

"We are their life, we care for them, we love them, we entertain them, we adore them but also in an oversight we can be the involuntary reason for their death," Loles Verdés writes to that kind of newspaper that scribbles at times, when arriving home from his position in the resi.

"If we do it right we save them . " So cute and so hard.

Resi, the centers for the elderly, are one of the atlases of the Covid 19 pandemic. 5,400 centers in Spain , with almost 400,000 places, according to Imserso data. Habitual stories of death in solitude arise from there. Stories that seek to go beyond the data: no less than 3,600 elderly people died in residences until yesterday. This is almost always the case in catastrophes. Drama and despair emerge, as the tale of joy drowns before reaching the surface.

"Let us leave optimism, because if we do things well we save life every day." Loles Verdés, technical and economic director of the Rafelbunyol residence for the elderly (Remarasa), a small town 20 kilometers from Valencia, allows us to access part of the notes from that kind of resistance newspaper that she is building. Although she prefers to call it "reflections of someone who trusts that it can be done well."

In the Rafelbunyol resi, he relates, "we welcome, serve and care for 90 elderly people . " 68 workers are responsible for this. Most of them, both of them, "are residents of the municipality" (9,000 inhabitants), something that adds even more pressure to work. Family, health and inmates know each other.

In Valencia, recounts the newspaper of the resistance, the awakening to the consciousness of the drama occurred with the suspension of the Fallas. What a decision! The Fallas were for Valencia, for Spain, what the Carnival was for Venice, for Italy; what Cannes for France or the Motor Show for Geneva, for Switzerland.

"Once the fallas of Valencia have emerged, the residence departments objectify and prepare the approach of the festivities to our elders," he notes. Meanwhile, paperwork and paperwork. «Tenders, audits, annual accounts in the economic department; relations with health contracts, stressful care management in the health department; organization of the center and active representation, negotiations, many open fronts, dizziness of a residential center.

All of this continues amid the pressure. It is normal in a residence. Now everything more difficult.

The staff of the residence that cares for 90 elderly people.

«Every day our lives and emotions intermingle with the routine of our elders; Hemmed in by a livelier ending than ever, they look at us, touch us, show us their wisdom and allow us to care for them and serve them as they deserve, "he details.

The enthusiasm shown by the staff for their work must now be modulated with an almost military discipline to comply with prevention protocols . "The secret is union and teamwork," he thanks.

“Every day we remember why we like our work. We make room for him to smile and hug them, and we continue with our dizzying, happy tasks; We program a professional life index, easy to outline and organize, adequate, structured; it is the adaptation of residential care to comprehensive care for the elderly that covers all aspects of their lives, warned of the general aging of the population. "

And wake up on March 6. In the resistance diary it is noted as "an unexpected turn where, barely understanding what it is, how it happened, why it is here, we see the responsibility of having the population at higher risk of mortality from Covid 19".

That day the first case of contagion in the Valencian Community, known on February 25, in Burriana (Castellón) received medical discharge. According to the Government, the Spanish statistics started on January 31, with a case imported from China on the island of La Gomera.

Another question is when the protocols began to be formally applied. In some residences, like the one in Rafelbunyol, they went ahead. “We, its professionals, understand that we must protect that percentage that has a very low probability of living if they are infected. And everything from before, disappears. The meetings, the tenders; our survival cells are activated, and we become soldiers of a war whose enemy is invisible, silent and who comes implacably to eliminate our elders, "he says.

Suspend visits

"Suddenly you feel it so great, so on top, so difficult, that everything you think translates into a potential threat to your residents, and you try to get as far ahead of their protection as possible, between avoiding exaggerated fear and the need for prevention, which is never small. Few understand you, everyone listens to you. We are all shocked, confused, incredulous. Everything stops ».

That same day, almost a week before the governments of Madrid or the Valencian Community sent in writing the order to suspend visits to the centers, this small center has already restricted them. «We created a risk assessment and response adaptation team: Resources are analyzed, variables are studied and economic items are allocated. Protocols are applied every hour, fast and constant communication systems; non-essential activities are suspended .... »

And March 12 arrives. "Could it be true? The decision to totally isolate the residence arrives." Faced with such an extreme measure, he relates: «Some understand it, others less, all with hope. The workers only work, they do not question; They learn by the minute, they change their working world to protect our elders. They are a team. And of the great ones ».

With the declaration of the alarm state , everything is accelerated. "We are still afraid."

March 19 arrives, the date indicated. «We celebrate San José with a classification of residents by levels of vulnerability , and separating the workers into two work groups that cover 24 hours. They all raise their hands: they are ready, healthy, brave, to protect our elders ». Everything must be organized. “There are many per shift, a lot of work ahead, and many hours to do. Twelve, fourteen hours ... we will resist! »

Workers respond. “Encouraged, capable, attentive, delicate, adaptive, they have the professional ability to work under pressure, to work as a team to protect our elders. Always a message of unity, hope and courage. We will resist ». Moments of tension "with each negative test"; minutes to let yourself go "with each bottle of chocolate, each fandango they sing to us, each happy birthday, we will resist!"

On March 23 the alert goes off. "The first contagion of our staff unleashes a silent unease among everyone . " As part of the team that has implemented the epidemiological control measures, the question is compelled: «Could it be? If we were doing well! Where did we go wrong?

The wait is almost endless. "But in 48 hours our negative becomes an explosion and a burning desire to continue fighting and protecting, to be on the front line." The protocol is maintained. “As of this date, at this minute, our plan works. We are doing well. Our elders are fine. The protective wall that we have built, still on March 30, still stands .

the families

Outside the compound, families hold their nerves. «Patients, resigned and hopeful when seeing our communiqués, that they encourage to continue ahead. They trust, they thank, they contribute, and they always end: take good care of yourself and if you need anything ... ». The suppliers, he relates, "are unbeatable: they advance our peace of mind, they adapt to impossible orders, to the new protocol in deliveries." His message: «I see you on the front line, but calm, trust because I will give you everything you need to win this war». His story is full of thanks: to the mayor, Fran López; to the Town Hall, to the health center, to the Clinical hospital ... to the UME, to the Police, the Civil Guard ...

ANTICIPATE VIRUSES

  • 6-M ADVANCED MEASURES
  • The residence was advanced one week to the regional government and restricted family visits.
  • 12-M, GENERAL CLOSURE
  • The governments of Madrid and the Valencian Community already prohibit external contact.
  • 23-M, SINGLE CONTAGIO
  • A positive from a staff member set off alarms. But the rest were negative.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Valencia
  • Valencian Community
  • Spain
  • Castellón
  • Coronavirus
  • Covid 19

Covid-19 The Valencian Community reaches 1,363 infections and 50 deaths after adding 258 new cases

CoronavirusBalance of a week of quarantine: 3,456 police complaints for leaving home without justification

CoronavirusAlicante agglutinates 41.4% of infections in the health field