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There is a deficit and a big gap in adult care, especially from 21 years old and above, for people with special needs and the state should fill it and support such centres, said the Secretary General of AKEL during his visit to the Adult Day Care Centre A.The operation of the centre, said Stefanos Stefanou, should show the way how to meet this need and give a perspective to these people and their families "because the needs are great, as is the stress and the running around."
The operation of the centre, said Stefanos Stefanou, should show the way how to meet this need and give a perspective to these people and their families "because the needs are great, as is the stress and the running around. "It's a real shame to leave a significant part of that need to be met by parents, families and relatives running around all day to provide even the basics," he said.
AKEL, he continued, is raising the issue and trying to convince that the state needs to create more infrastructure and provide more resources to satisfactorily meet the great need that exists for adult people with disabilities.
AKEL, he added, has some proposals that it is putting before Parliament, is discussing them with associations and organisations and that is why - he said - it is at this centre. To highlight the need that exists and the action that is being developed, the content of the centre's work, he added.
Stefanou also congratulated the cluster of communities in the region that took this initiative, "which I consider very pioneering. It is also indicative of the important role that local government can play in meeting social and other needs with the appropriate support of the state that should be in place."
It should not act as a transfer of responsibilities from the state to local government, he said, and be left dangling to meet needs.
Stefanou gave a "small, humble contribution from AKEL as a sign of support but also in recognition of the work the centre is doing."
The community mayor of Astromeritis, Aris Konstantinou, thanked the Secretary General of AKEL for his interest in the centre, which - he said - the local government created with the support of the parents of people over the age of 21, for whom there are no institutions where they can live. It is a big project undertaken by the communities and it is probably the only cluster that carried it out, he added. "We were not afraid of it. But the state should be more involved in the financial support of these centres."
Holding events and inconveniencing parents to raise income for the institution is a big undertaking, he added, noting that AKEL's pressure on the government might also convince it to help these centres.
The president of the centre's parents' association also thanked the Secretary General of AKEL. "We keep what you said about support. The centre is very important for these children when their parents are not alive." They hope, he said, that the problems will be highlighted and they will receive support "as you promised and as much as you can."
You can be sure of that, the AKEL General Secretary replied, noting that in Larnaca they have gathered the relevant organisations that exist and raised the issue with the government. There is a big need and a big hole and we will continue to push for this need to be met, he noted.
Source: CNA
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