Representatives from different countries have participated since last Wednesday in Seville in a transnational meeting, organized by the Provincial Federation of Associations of People with Physical and Organic Disabilities of Seville (FAMS-COCEMFE Seville), whose objective is to discuss about the measures of support for family caregivers of people with disabilities in their daily care work.
Cristina Paloma Torrego, director of the “Las Columnas Civic Center” in Seville, has been in charge of the opening of this meeting representing the Seville City Council. It is a forum in which the need to facilitate and bring tools that allow caregivers to lead a normalized life has been emphasized, with time frames for self-care, leisure, and relief, as well as the need of the professional figure of the personal assistant. The president and vice president of the Federation, Juan José Lara Ortiz and Nieves Márquez Matallanes, as well as the coordinator of European projects in the entity, Encarnación Barrera Bizcocho, also participated in the presentation on Wednesday.
The meeting is part of a larger project, called ‘Be Happy In Life’, in which different organizations participate: Istanbul Health Directorate of Istanbul (Turkey); Ozara d.o.o. Maribor (Slovenia); Values, Virtues, Integrity Foundation of Sofia (Bulgaria); Consorzio Cooperativa Sociali SGS de Lanciano (Italy), Equip de Copenhagen (Denmark); and FAMS-COCEMFE Seville (Spain).
For Barrera, “projects like ‘Be Happy In Life‘ are important, due to the fact that such important things as health services are brought into contact with family caregivers and the personal situation and their circumstances.”
During the second day, held at the Auxilia Sevilla Foundation City of Seville Comprehensive Services Center, parents and caregivers of severely affected people with disabilities have addressed issues related to the need for the figure of the professional personal assistant, to ensure the full social integration of these people and their families.
Also, ASAENES has participated, coinciding with World Mental Health Day, which presented its family intervention program ‘An experience to share’; as well as the testimony of a relative of a person with a mental health problem. In addition, aspects of the reality of people with mental health problems, physical and organic disabilities, family profiles, etc. have been shared.
These conferences have been highly valued by the participating families and by professionals from the national and international socio-sanitary field.
The Federation thanks all the participants and collaborators mentioned, for their commitment with people with disabilities; as well as Don Miguel Soriano, president of the Auxilia Foundation and the Auxilia Association, the latter, a member entity of FAMS-COCEMFE Seville.
