Dementia patients are the latest to have to miss out on crucial services because of decisions to move staff around to deal with shortages compounded by the spike in COVID-19 cases.

A specialised unit for patients with dementia that provided daily care to help them with their condition was shuttered a few weeks ago, leaving patients and their caregivers in the dark.

No reason was given for the decision, with the staff and patients merely being told the dementia centre would stop operating. At least 20 patients used to attend the day centre on a daily basis.

Relatives who spoke to Times of Malta said the service provided at the centre was an essential part of the patients’ well-being. Those who visited the centre lived in the community and so relied on the care they received there.

“Why is it that other places have continued to operate normally but not this unit? Other places introduced measures to control the spread but kept going.

“Dementia patients, as well as their families, need all the help and support they can get and stopping a service like this one could have dire consequences on their well-being,” one relative said.

The centre offers an activity programme for dementia patients who still live at home or with relatives. It also serves as a respite service for informal caregivers.

Dementia-friendly environments are known to help minimise disorientation, difficult behaviour and anxiety, traits which patients with the condition often struggle with.

St Vincent De Paul Residence CEO Josianne Cutajar said the decision was made “to minimise the risk of COVID spread through visitors inside the home”.

“Even more urgent is the shortages of staff to man our wards since the number of workers on quarantine and those vulnerable is increasing,” she said.

“This created a huge challenge to maintain staff complement in wards where the residents are, therefore, we had to deploy all available nurses and carers from ancillary units to our wards.”

She did not say when or if the service would be resuming.

Reports last week said that hundreds of pregnant women and new parents had their weekly parenting classes postponed after the team providing the service was moved to the COVID contact tracing unit.

The decision sparked outrage and resulted in the nurses’ union recalling midwives to continue providing the parents with the service.