PSP detects maltreatment and irregularities in illegal home in Sintra

A PSP detected evidence of maltreatment of the elderly, serious safety failures and absence of licensing in a residence for elderly people operating in Belas, in the municipality of Sintra, having sent the process to the Public Prosecutor, was announced today.

In a statement, the Lisbon Metropolitan Command of the PSP indicated that it did an inspection of that residence last Friday, through the Police Surveillance Brigade of the Sintra Police Division, in an operation that had the support of the Sintra Municipal Police, the Amadora/Sintra Public Health Unit, the Department of Public Health and Animal Welfare of the municipality and the Municipal Civil Protection Service.

According to the PSP, the space had already been signaled by suspicions of operation without licensing and the “existence of poor conditions of habitability and health”.

During the operation, “serious incidents of maltreatment and danger to public health” were identified, and elderly individuals were found isolated in rooms and immobilized with sheets to chairs considered inadequate for this purpose.

The police also admitted that users could be locked in the rooms during the night, since the doors had no door handles either inside or outside, and the opening was carried out through a removable device kept next to the key chains.

The inspectors also detected failures “in the storage and management of medicines”, finding several drugs stored in refrigerators for food storage.

The PSP also mentioned that the establishment did not have a nursing office or staff with adequate training for primary or geriatric health care.

Although the management has justified some of the procedures with “security reasons”, the PSP referred the case to the Public Prosecutor to investigate possible illicits.

The statement also states that the Sintra Municipal Police verified the lack of legal documentation necessary for the exercise of the activity, namely licenses and other compulsory licensing titles, having instituted the respective administrative procedures.

In the context of the evaluation of the building’s security conditions, the Municipal Civil Protection Service concluded that there is “a high-risk scenario for residents due to the advanced state of degradation of the property”.

The main identified irregularities include the absence of emergency signaling, clear evacuation exits and fire detection systems, as well as the accumulation of fuel material and obstruction of passages with furniture.

Degraded sanitary facilities were also marked, without adequate hygiene conditions, and the absence of accessibility ramps, in addition to the presence of stairs classified as “dangerous and protection against improvised falls”.

PSP stressed that the objective of the operation was to assess the operating conditions of the structure, to safeguard the safety and well-being of residents and to verify the compliance of the permits required by law.

In the note, the security force added that it will continue to develop oversight actions aimed at combating clandestine situations and preventing abuse and negligence against older people.