The Regional Minister for Family and Equal Opportunities, Violante Tomás, attended the 39th anniversary events of the Cieza Senior Citizens Social Center today, where she explained that the regional government is funding more than €1.5 million to provide care to 245 senior citizens in the municipality.
The Murcian Institute for Social Action (IMAS) is funding 112 places at the Mariano Marín Blázquez residence, for a total of €1,293,120, and 20 places at the Day Center of the Cieza Association of Relatives of Patients with Alzheimer's and Other Dementias (ACIFAD), for a total of €208,166. In addition, the Home Help Service has 113 users receiving services.
Regarding the activities scheduled at the Cieza Senior Citizens Social Center, the goal is to improve the quality of life of its 5,643 members and promote all types of sociocultural, occupational, artistic, and recreational activities.
“This center has been in operation for 39 years and has become a very helpful social meeting point for all seniors in Cieza. It contributes to fostering civic awareness, community relationships, and the status of its members as useful and active members of society. A good example of this is the great acceptance of the social center's workshops and courses, which had more than 1,400 participants in 2016,” stated Violante Tomás.
During the 2016/2017 academic year, more than 45 workshops were held at this IMAS center, aimed at active seniors, who participated in one or more organized activities such as gerontogymnastics, crafts, poetry, theater, painting, and intergenerational exchanges, among others.
Primary Care
In terms of care for the most vulnerable groups, the Community is also allocating more than 3.7 million euros this year to fund services to improve the quality of life of 441 people with disabilities in the municipality.
Regarding funding for municipal Primary Care Social Services, a funding increase of more than €24,000 is planned for this year. The budgeted €359,704 represents a 7.3 percent increase compared to 2016 funding.
The grant will be awarded in two phases: an initial phase using the Community's own funds, and a second phase using funds from the Ministry and the Community linked to the funds, which will streamline the process.
Primary Care Social Services constitute the first level of care within the social services system and, consequently, are the exclusive responsibility of the public. "The goal is to ensure the care, promotion, and integration of people with significant social needs, such as the lack of basic basic needs, situations of dependency, or social exclusion. This is achieved through funding for the maintenance of current professionals and a significant budgetary injection," the councilor stated.
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