Minister for Senior Citizens and Active Ageing Michael Farrugia announced that the Mtarfa Local Council and the Department of Active Ageing and Community Care will be collaborating to initiate another dementia-friendly community in Malta.
Through this initiative, the Mtarfa Local Council will be working towards becoming a dementia-friendly community and has teamed up with professionals from Active Ageing and Community Care (AACC) to initiate the project.
During the signing of this agreement, Minister Michael Farrugia said that both parties will be working together to challenge stigma and increase awareness on the condition.
“Dementia-friendly communities aim to breakdown the stigma associated with dementia by educating communities on the condition and its impact on the person and their family,” Minister Michael Farrugia said.
He said that there are currently about 7,000 persons with dementia in Malta. Given the stigma about dementia in our society, persons with dementia are either hesitant to ask for help or avoid being in public, resulting in situations of exclusion and isolation.
Due to this agreement, the first step will be the setting up of a steering group of people with an interest in the project who will meet regularly, prioritise and work on initiatives. Persons with dementia and/or their caregivers will be encouraged to join this steering group since their input would be invaluable to the project. A number of awareness talks will be set up by professionals working in the field to educate the Mtarfa community on the condition, on how it impacts the person and how the community might be able to help these persons continue living well in their community.
These talks will be open for the public and will take place in Mtarfa’s Local Council town hall. People who wish to attend need to pre-book their place with the Mtarfa Local Council.
The Minister also announced that, in the coming weeks, the first dementia activity centre in Malta will be inaugurated in Mtarfa. This centre will be providing a day and night care service for persons living with dementia in the community. This centre, together with another in Ħal Safi which is planned to be ready later on this year, will provide a safe and welcoming environment where persons with dementia can participate in therapeutic activities.
