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SARONNO – “On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the emergency connected to Covid 19, a public health problem and of national interest.”
Thus begins the reflection of Carmela Federico, the president of the cultural association La Rivincita, of Saronno.
“It is evident that such an emergency, in an abrupt and sudden manner, interrupted the“ sociality ”, human relationships and interventions in rehabilitative terms. This has resulted in extremely negligible consequences on that part of the citizens who are already fragile in themselves and need support.
And indeed, the restrictive measures have not, in fact, taken into consideration these relevant needs and the real discomfort of the disabled and their families, both on a “strictly practical and organizational” level, and as regards their “emotional sphere. “.
The sudden interruption of everyday life and the regular offer of assistance, have determined a strong impact on people with disabilities who, on the other hand, need constant and concrete support.
As far as the “emotional aspect” is concerned, the problem of managing emotions such as fear, frustration, anger has arisen which, in people with disabilities and their families, amplifies and often degenerates into violent and aggressive behaviors, not finding immediate support from the external environment. Hence the priority need for specialized figures.
It is also useful to emphasize the “uncertainty of the duration of the pandemic”, which in people with disabilities accustomed to living everyday life, has caused difficulties in understanding what is the “cause” of all the deprivations they are experiencing.
Another problem that constitutes a concrete and objective “barrier” is the absence of certain well-defined “institutional protocols” aimed at taking care of people with disabilities in quarantine, where the cost of health care prevents them from being able to afford essential services.
Even the sudden absence of figures such as educators, teachers, companions as well as psychologists and therapists who take on a pregnant and significant daily value as presence and support, has determined relevant consequences.
-In this scenario, it is precisely families who take full responsibility for their family members with disabilities and in most cases, the further difficulty arises of perhaps reconciling smart working with the care needs of a disabled child.
This “extraordinary” situation that we are experiencing affects the lives of families with disabled children and / or relatives to such an extent that it becomes real stress.
These objective considerations are echoed by those connected to the desirability of timely “responsible” information and planning of an “institutional” nature on a national level, made up of psychosocial support interventions to deal with “prevention strategies”, all concerns and the uncertainties of the whole community, in order to avoid uncontrolled behavior that could inevitably become risky, with long-term economic and social effects.
Worthy of note are the many initiatives and interventions of proximity to the “fragile” population promoted by various municipal administrations in order to make up for and fill this sort of institutional planning and prevention gap of a national nature, in a climate of collaboration and solidarity.
The municipality of Saronno, for example, makes use of the home assistance service also for people with disabilities, more exposed to the risk of emergence, which is represented by social-assistance services at home of people who are in situations of hardship and difficulties, in order to allow them to stay in their daily habitat and avoid or reduce, the use of hospitalization in residential structures more exposed to the health risks deriving from the Covid19 virus and the consequent social repercussions. And this is also in compliance with the principle of article 11 of the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.
The municipality of Massa, on the other hand, was one of the first Italian municipalities to guarantee remote teaching, with the presence of a socio-educational operator at home, for families with children with disabilities.
It also established the Municipal Council, with an ad hoc resolution of the Municipal Council, in order to promote the full autonomy of people with disabilities who, moreover, continue to work in full Covid, starting the renunciations in videoconference, as well as introduced the figure of the guarantor municipal administration of people with disabilities and formulated the relative regulation.
Other municipal administrations located throughout the country have strengthened and financed integrated socio-health plans for citizens with disabilities
These interventions and initiatives all represent necessary traces to be able to find a viable path, aimed at designing the development of an institutional model of planning and prevention that has yet to find a way to adapt to the extension of the very idea of the fragility of people with disabilities. “
(In photo: Carmela Federico, president of the La Rivincita association)
12022021
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