The Family Respite Unit ‘La Casa Roja’ in Calpe currently serves 16 people with some form of cognitive impairment. This centre, which was inaugurated in May 2023 in the Casa Roja, hardly had any users a year ago due to the lack of knowledge about the existence of this new service as well as the lack of transport to this municipally owned building, located in the Cocó district.
However, the information offered by the Department of Social Services, which manages the registration in this centre, and above all, the implementation of a free municipal transport service, has meant that nowadays these facilities have a full capacity. Although its maximum capacity is 15 people, 16 are enrolled, as not all of them attend every day - it has a daily influx of 10 to 12 people -.
The ‘La Casa Roja’ family respite unit in Calpe is a municipal service offering its users a programme of activities to promote their physical and cognitive stimulation as well as to encourage their socialisation. In addition, it also provides a support service to the families of the sick and prepares them for the changes they will have to face as a result of the progressive deterioration of these illnesses. The centre is also a respite for these families, who will have more time to rest.
The programme offered runs for three hours every day from Monday to Friday, the only centre in the Valencia Region with such a wide range of services - this type of service is usually provided in day centres and residences for a maximum of one hour a day. And it is attended by three professionals specialised in the treatment of this type of illness: a psychologist, a speech therapist and a direct assistance person.
“Users enjoy personalised attention that not only improves their quality of life, but also offers an indispensable respite to their families, who rely on the centre for the daily care of their loved ones’, said the councillor for Social Welfare, Itziar Doval, and stressed the importance of continuing to develop and improve this type of resource, “with the aim of guaranteeing quality care and constant support for the families who need it most”.