Dar il-Kaptan - Easing the burden on carers

To the 240 client members of Dar il-Kaptan, the only respite care home in Malta, the services offered have become an essential element in their lives and the lives of their carers. Whether the necessity for respite care arises from some emergency in the family, or simply to give all concerned a welcome break, Dar il-Kaptan fulfils a function that was sorely lacking before the home was established 10 years ago.

As the only place disabled people can go for short stays, the building and grounds are homely and welcoming, a quiet holiday atmosphere pervading the halls and filling the hearts of all residents and visitors alike.

The idea to set up a respite care home came from the National Parents Society for Persons with Disability in 1990 and, in collaboration with the National Commission for Persons with Disability, the Foundation for Respite Care Services was then established.

Rotary International, through its Malta Club, were instrumental in the setting up and opening of the home... in fact, the funds they donated were used to buy the house itself from Government. To this day, however, Rotary continues to support Respite Care Services with fund-raising and donations.

Dar il-Kaptan at Mtarfa was officially inaugurated on November 10, 1991, and, apart from hosting disabled persons of all ages from all over Malta, the building also houses the administration operations of the Foundation.

Dar il-Kaptan can accommodate 12 people on residential stays at one time, with an additional two beds reserved for emergency cases. Client members fall into six groups according to ability, and then invited to stay at Dar il-Kaptan for a week, every six weeks. During their week-long stay, clients are taken out on field trips, offered a host of activities and entertainment and generally encouraged to have a good time with their companions.

Dar il-Kaptan also offers a day programme aimed specifically at those who do not attend an adult training centre. Attendance is rotated, this time according to locality, with most of the members who use the day programme attending once or twice a week, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. During their time at Dar il-Kaptan they participate in activities, and get the chance to interact with the other residential guests. Some 12 people attend the day programme every day.

The importance of respite care lies in the fact that it makes it possible for parents and carers to keep going. Looking after a disabled person is not easy... without brief periods to recoup their strength and regenerate the enormous amounts of energy required of them, many parents would find their task a lot harder, and a lot more daunting.

Keeping it going however, requires money. And while Government donates a portion of the necessary funds, additional fund-raising for Dar il-Kaptan remains essential. It is the generosity of the public that makes it possible for Dar il-Kaptan to continue and they are always hopeful that the public will respond to their needs, in order to empower them to respond to the needs of carers. Operating costs for the home get higher every year, but without funds it would not be possible to offer any of these services that have now become an essential lifeline to carers and their charges.

Rotary Club La Vallette Malta is currently running a fund-raising campaign for Dar il-Kaptan through which ties and cash donations are being collected from the public.

The campaign will culminate in a public activity to be held next Sunday on the Sliema Front between the Tower and Fortizza. All the ties collected will be displayed there from 6.30 p.m. onwards, so if you have a spare tie in your wardrobe and/or some spare cash in your pocket, please take a stroll down the Sliema Front that evening... your contribution will be greatly appreciated!

For more information on the operations of the Respite Care Home, please contact Dar il-Kaptan, Rotary Drive, Triq Dar il-Kaptan, Mtarfa RBT 15, tel: 2145-0103/4.