A new treatment facility catering for the needs of younger residents - Narċis - has been inaugurated at the St Vincent de Paul residence.

A part of the ongoing upgrading plans for the facility, the Narċis project will cater for residents aged 18 to 59, largely people with disabilities, who previously were residing in wards with much older patients.

38-year-old Matthew Dingli, who has been living at SVP for around three years, said he was happy to be moving into a more modern facility. 

“The other place was very old. I’m still quite young and I was always with older people. It looks like a much younger ambiance here,” he said. 

He said that while he got on well with the other residents in his ward, he was keener to be surrounded by his peers.

“Although my best friend is a 71-year-old man, being around old people all day isn’t exactly my cup of tea. I’d much rather be with people my own age. I hope that here I can be with younger people.”

The project was announced in 2019. 

With the ability to house 16 patients who have diverse needs and require intensive long term care, the building includes state of the art digital assistance for the patients and advanced accessibility technology.

The facility is also equipped with a gym, sensory room, counselling rooms and a family room for family members to be able to spend more therapeutic and recreational time with the residents.

SVP chief executive Josianne Cutajar said that some €2 million had been spent to restore an old villa that formed part of the complex.

While the exterior was restored to match the architectural sensibilities of the complex’s original design, the interior had been renovated with modern decor and facilities that reflect the younger sensibilities of the residents.

She added that the goal was to give residents a greater sense of independence and that specialised treatment plans would be made for them with the goal of eventually being able to reintegrate with society, with families having access to the support system offered by the Narċis project for the rest of their lives.

Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina

Active Ageing Minister Michael Farrugia said that he was overjoyed to be inaugurating the project and that the management of the facility had shared his vision for upgrading the facility to modern standards.

“The people who are here for long term care deserve better and deserve the best intensive care that might allow them to reintegrate into society,” Farrugia said.

“We want to remain ambitious and keep improving these facilities with the best resources. Even if in some areas we have fallen into habit, we are striving to change and advance to give our latest technologies a chance.”