How is this right?

Just for kicks, this week I tried to make head or tails of the (too) many political undercurrents that have been doing the rounds.

First I toyed with the idea of PBO possibly losing his mind, and then I thought that Nikki Dimech was simply one fry short of a happy meal, but before I could make up my mind about Joseph Muscat (who has suddenly turned more European than a Brussels Sprout), I received a letter from a very concerned father of an intellectually disabled child.

Suddenly the political meanderings that I had been having fun with all week just stopped being funny.

I realised, that it is precisely these political egos and silly games, that lead authorities to the wrong priorities, and leave people with real needs in the lurch.

Whilst we’ve spent most of the year arguing about an €80 million investment for a new parliament, no politician, in fact no one from either side, has done or said anything to help people like the author of this letter and his son.

In his letter Laurence Borg says : ‘…most of us feel it will be a blessing if our disabled child was to pass away peacefully before we do, even though it will break our hearts in a thousand pieces.’

My parents, being in the same situation as Mr Borg, would say exactly the same thing!

How is this right?

Residential Homes for the Disabled - The real situation by Laurence Borg - B’Kara

Like many others who wrote before me, I, too, am an ageing parent who is deeply worried about the uncertain future of my disabled son, especially when my wife and I pass away or are no longer able to care for him.

Due to advances in medical care, most persons with disability are today having a normal life span and will most probably outlive their parents.

Moreover, family ties and links are no longer what they used to be, and parents can no longer rely on family members for the care of their disabled child when they are gone, as was common practice in the past.

Parents are deeply concerned about the shortage of residential homes and the lack of serious planning to address this problem.

For far too long we have pleaded our cause and expected total help from outside sources without achieving anything substantial which can bring us peace of mind.

In my opinion we are doing two mistakes:

1. We expect others to sympathise with us

Faced with to-day’s problems such as unemployment, rising cost of living, broken marriages and drugs, Maltese society in general is likely to underestimate the dilemma which we, parents of disabled children, are facing, and the almost unbearable worries and feeling of insecurity which we experience. So much so that most of us feel it will be a blessing if our disabled child was to pass away peacefully before we do, even though it will break our hearts in a thousand pieces. Who else would like to bury his own child?

2. We expect that the state will provide a simple ready made solution to our problem.

Within the health and national support services the Government is doing its utmost to provide residential homes for the elderly and to improve the hospital based facilities which is riddled with problems. It is also concerned about unsustainable pensions in the future, unemployment, rising cost of living, global recession, etc.

Due to these constantly increasing demands, the needs of disabled persons are being accorded low priority within these sectors. The few residential homes in existence have full occupancy and new ones are being opened simply to satisfy the demands of social cases. Do we have to wait until our children become social cases?

According to the 2005 Government census there are presently about 24,000 persons with a disability in Malta. Within the age group 30-60 there are 1,500 persons with an intellectual disability and/or multiple disabilities.

Most of these, besides many others, will be needing supported or semi-independent living in state funded homes or institutions in the next ten to twenty years. At the rate at which homes are presently being provided there is no way that the state will satisfy this demand even if its social conscience were to increase tenfold.

Individual effort from our side is not getting us anywhere. It is time to get together, form an association, share ideas and suggestions and be counted. If need be, we have to provide solutions ourselves even if it means having to dig deep into our pockets and sacrificing our life-savings and possessions.

Together we can convince the private sector to provide homes for the disabled as they do for the elderly. We can strike public-private partnership schemes with the Government.

Together we shall be a voice and a force to be reckoned with and no longer ignored.

I serve on committees of various NGO’s.

If you’re interested in helping any way or if you’re a parent willing to contribute in this project please contact me on

ljb5940@gmail.com

Laurence Borg - Bkara