COMMISSIONER CALLS FOR AN END TO THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES- IMMEDIATE REMOVAL FROM HOMES FOR THE ELDERLY - Filenews 8/4 by Michalis Chatzivasilis
The Commissioner for Human Rights recommends the immediate removal of people with intellectual disabilities from homes for the elderly and an end to their institutionalization.
The report was prepared after an unannounced visit by officials of the Commissioner's Office to two homes for the elderly, one in Limassol and one in Paphos last September and October respectively. From the inspection of all the premises, while no serious deficiencies and observations were identified, it was nevertheless found that at the time of the visit, six non-elderly people (the youngest 26 years old) with intellectual disabilities and mental disorders, such as mental illness, schizophrenia, etc., were accommodated in the shelter in Limassol.
According to Commissioner Maria Stylianou Lottides, the confinement of people with disabilities in closed structures is contrary to the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and, in particular, to Article 19 concerning their right to independent living and integration into the community. When confinement takes place in non-specialized structures, as in this case in a home for the elderly, it becomes clear that people with intellectual disabilities and people with other mental disorders are deprived of the provision of specialized and individualized care in an environment that favours their psycho-emotional development, with the result that they are isolated from the rest of the community, their social and functional needs are being sidelined and their situation is deteriorating, the report points out.
At the same time, it is stated that the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) has expressed its opposition to the accommodation of people with intellectual disabilities and mental disorders in the same place, since, as it points out, the accommodation of people with different needs in the same place makes it difficult to be able to provide appropriate care and treatment programs.
As recorded, the association of people with intellectual disabilities and mental disorders with the elderly in non-specialized structures may also make it difficult to provide personalized care to all those affected, limiting the ability of staff to focus on the individual needs of each group of persons, with the immediate consequence of negatively affecting their quality of life and the degradation of their safety and the psycho-emotional care provided support.
According to the Commissioner, the Social Welfare Services, as the competent Authority for the supervision of Housing, in consultation and cooperation with the Department of Social Integration of People with Disabilities, should deal with the issue, in order to end the institutionalization and confinement of people with intellectual disabilities in homes for the elderly, not only in the housing under consideration in Limassol but also throughout Cyprus. To this end, she notes, the necessary coordination of the two Services is required, as well as their consultation and cooperation with the Cyprus Confederation of Organizations of the Disabled (KYSOA), in order to identify people with disabilities living in homes for the elderly and the implementation of the necessary measures for their movement in appropriate contexts where their right to independent living will be ensured.
Regarding the general picture found in the two homes for the elderly, the Commissioner suggests that the number of staff staffing the evening shifts, especially at the shelter in Limassol, be reviewed and that the provision of the necessary training to the staff be launched so that they can adequately respond to their duties and the needs of the guests on the shelters. It further calls for the development and implementation of personalized care plans for all guests in the homes, which include cognitive stimulation and psychological support interventions, tailored to their individual needs, to ensure the maintenance of their cognitive and mental health.
Suggestion for sanitary facilities
One of the Commissioner's recommendations is to promote the renovation and/or replacement of the toilets in the roof in Limassol, in order to ensure that the guests in the home have facilities at their disposal that meet the health and safety requirements and guarantee decent conditions during their use. An effort should be made to ensure that people with mobility problems and/or reduced mobility are not accommodated on the first floor of the building where the home is housed in Limassol. Measures should be taken to upgrade the quantity and quality of meals provided to the guests in the home in Limassol.
It is sensational to find that many of the guests remained sitting on chairs in the common areas of the home for many hours, without any possibility of creative activities, apart from watching television or radio. At the same time, as mentioned above, several of the guests sat on the terrace and talked to each other or listened to music.
