Portugal has more than 42,000 elderly people in isolation, with the district of Vila Real concentrating the largest number of cases, according to the figures of Operation Censos Sénior 2020, released today by GNR .

The Operation carried out during the month of October with the objective of “identifying the elderly population, who live alone, isolated, or alone and isolated”, signaled 42,439 elderly people to live alone or in a vulnerable situation in the 18 districts of the country.

In the 2019 edition of the “Senior Censuses” operation, GNR signaled 41,868 elderly people who live alone and / or isolated, or in a situation of vulnerability, due to their physical, psychological, or other condition that may jeopardize their safety.

The Vila Real district leads the table, with 5,065 elderly people living alone or isolated, followed by Guarda (4,585), Viseu (3,402), Beja (3,403), Faro (3,313), Bragança (3,285) and Portalegre (3,104), today refers to GNR.

Lisbon, with 767 signposts, and Porto, with 857, are, on the other hand, the districts of the country where the military registered less vulnerable elderly people.

In the remaining districts in Évora (2,654) and Santarém (2,035), more than two thousand situations were signaled, followed by Castelo Branco (1,842), Setúbal (1,734), Braga (1,543), Aveiro (1,383), Coimbra (1,334) , Viana do Castelo (1,043) and Leiria, with 1,090.

In a statement, GNR informs that, during the operation, 34 actions were carried out in the classroom and 3,652 actions door to door, covering a total of 20,747 elderly people.

Along with the survey of these situations, the operation served to alert the elderly “to the adoption of safety behaviors that reduce the risk of becoming victims of crimes, namely in situations of violence, fraud or theft”, as well as preventing risk behaviors and raise awareness of the adoption of preventive measures for the spread of the covid-19 pandemic.

The “Senior Censuses” Operation has been carried out since 2011, with the geographic database being periodically updated and the GNR being signaled to the elderly accompanied by regular visits to their homes, the statement concludes.