The City Council of Dénia will agree in the April plenary session, which is held on the 29th, its adherence to the Pla Convivint of social services infrastructures 2021-2025, promoted by the Ministry of Equality and Inclusive Policies of the Generalitat Valenciana. The Pla Convivint includes among its projects three actions long demanded by the city of Dénia: the creation of a specific Center for people with chronic mental illness (CEEM); a Center for Rehabilitation and Social Integration (CRIS) and a new residence and day center for the elderly.
Three projects in which the municipal government has been working since the last legislature “with great effort from the former councilor for Social Services, Cristina Morera”, underlined the current mayor of the area, Melani Ivars.
In this regard, the mayor of Dénia, Vicent Grimalt, has indicated that "these are very necessary infrastructures for Dénia and the region, for users, their families and associations, and one of the most anticipated projects by this government team.
The Center for Rehabilitation and Social Integration, "is one of the pending subjects of the Generalitat with the Marina Alta. It is not the only resource necessary to improve the attention to the group, but it is the highest priority and the one most requested by the associations that work in this field”, affirms Ivars. A center with the characteristics of the one projected in Dénia will be able to serve about 55 people.
For its part, in the specific Center for people with chronic mental illness (CEEM), which will be located in the same building, between 20 and 40 residential places may be created. In the CEEMs, assistance is provided to users according to their needs and includes accommodation and meals, individualized rehabilitation programs, educational and cultural activities, and specialized treatment.
Melani Ivars has indicated that in order to start “advancing the work”, in the plenary session of this month of April, she will also notice the acceptance by the Generalitat of the 10.279 square meter land next to the La Pedrera hospital that the city council offered to the Ministry for the construction of CEEM and CRIS. Likewise, the councilor has commented that the General Directorate of Social Services Infrastructures has confirmed that the project of these two centers in Dénia is already drawn up and ready to go out to tender.
The Councilor for Policies for the Elderly, Elisabet Cardona, has been in charge of informing about the project of second residence and day center in the City. He has begun his intervention indicating that in Dénia today 20% of the population is over 65 years old “and we only have one residence, municipal and in operation for more than 40 years, with a waiting list that, although it has been reduced a lot, around the year or year and a half ”. For all this, "it is a priority that there be another residential center for the elderly and we have spent years studying formulas to make it happen." In fact, the city council has a valued technical memory of that second residence and the day center that it will transfer to the department "to expedite the procedures."
Another essential aspect that the city council has already advanced is the location of the future residence, a municipal plot of about 4.000 square meters on Apol lo street, also close to the La Pedrera hospital, which the council will cede to the Generalitat for construction from the center.
Due to the conditions of use of the plot, a 4-storey building can be built with at least 140 residential spaces and another 20 spaces for day stays.
Regarding the management of the new center for the elderly, the mayor has stressed that it should correspond to the department, which is the one that has the powers in the matter.
Grimalt recalled that the current residence of Santa Llúcia "is one of the few that remain municipally owned and our intention is for the department to take over." Currently, the residence deficit is around one million euros, an amount covered by the municipal coffers.
Last year, with the health crisis caused by COVID-19, the initial budget for Santa Llúcia was increased by 200.000 euros for the purchase of protection material and staff reinforcement. In 2021, the total budget of the residence has been increased by 5% and is 3,1 million euros.
It would also be helpful and, possibly cheaper, if aid were given for the rehabilitation and adaptation of the old school of the Carmelites. It is a very usable infrastructure since it consists of rooms, kitchen, dining room, classrooms to use as a day center, gym, etc….
It is also in an unbeatable location ...