The President of the Government stated today the determination of the Regional Government to comply with a "generational contract" to provide the elderly with the conditions to ensure their safety and well-being, a political option that has allowed an annual investment of about 20 million Euros in this area.

"The compliance with this generational contract is something that means a lot to the Government of the Azores, especially from the standpoint of social policies and resource allocation. Just to give an example, the investment in services and social infrastructures for the elderly increased from about 13 million to nearly 20 million a year between 2004 and 2014,"said Vasco Cordeiro.

The President of the Government spoke at the ceremony to lay the first stone of Piedade Night Centre of "Santa Casa da Misericórdia" of Lajes do Pico, an investment of about one million Euros. The ceremony took place during the Regional Government's statutory visit to the island of Pico.

According to Vasco Cordeiro, this work is another example of this "generational contract" that has allowed the creation and consolidation of a decentralised network of social support and proximity services from Santa Maria to Corvo, which has given to the elderly their sense of belonging to their community and their families.

For the President of the Government, this option is not only embodied in infrastructure investments, but also in a series of measures and policies, such as the Regional Pension Supplement and the support for the purchase of medicine.

Vasco Cordeiro also pointed out that the project launched today also encompasses a component of social cohesion insofar as it contributes to the reinforcement of territorial cohesion.

This investment will redevelop the Piedade Elderly Home, increasing its capacity from 12 to 26 users.

This also intervention reinforces the capacity of elderly homes on Pico Island, which currently provides 129 vacancies at the four homes located in Lajes, Madalena and São Roque do Pico.