In another step to increase services for people with dementia and their families, an agreement has been signed between the Active Ageing and Community Care (AACC) and the Archdiocese of Malta to convert a building in Sliema into an Activity Centre for people with dementia.
This new centre will offer an essential service for between 15 and 20 people per day, who will be able to spend the day in a safe and comfortable environment, accompanied by trained caregivers and nurses. In 2024, the Government published the second National Dementia Strategy, which stressed the importance of expanding these centres so that more families have support services for their relatives with dementia.
Similar to existing centres across Malta and Gozo, this new centre in Sliema will be designed and renovated by AACC to provide a home-like environment, rather than an institutionalised one. This is a crucial element so that the relatives of people with dementia feel comfortable entrusting their loved one to the centre, while the users themselves feel in a familiar and relaxing place.
During the day, users will participate in activities designed to improve their quality of life, promote social interaction and reduce the impact of their condition. This while giving their relatives some time off from their daily care duties.
Present for the signing of the agreement were the Minister for Health and Active Ageing, Jo Etienne Abela, the Parliamentary Secretary for Active Ageing, Malcolm Paul Agius Galea, the Permanent Secretary Christine Schembri, the Chief Executive of Active Ageing and Community Care, Dr Renzo Degabriele, and representatives of the Archdiocese of Malta, Fr Denis Schembri, Archpriest of Stella Maris Parish and Ambassador Roberto Buontempo, Head of Curia Property.
Minister Jo Etienne Abela explained how this centre continues with the strategy that the Government is implementing for the care and treatment of dementia. “As a Government we want to continue to strengthen the services offered in the community by offering more centres dedicated to dementia care that help to provide high-quality, patient-centred and patient-related care,” concluded Minister Abela.
Photo: MHA
