The serious problems facing the mentally ill

Around mentally ill of the Valencia are on the waiting list for access to one of the few

places in homes for the existing aid from the Regional Administration, according to sources

assured yesterday by the Federation of Public Service of the UGT.

According to these sources, in the past s the Government has granted only 10 new aid,

"usually at the death of a user move allows the provision to another."
Toni Femenía, said here that the Single Economic Performance , which are the

support given to the mentally ill in order to gain access to a private residence "have not

increased in this period.
In this connection he stressed that the association responsible for the whole of the Valencia

region alone there are 220 public squares, "which is clearly insufficient."
The 900 families that according UGT no access to public places in residences are forced to resort

to private establishments, but the lack of aid prevents this possibility among those with the

lowest income.
"Besides, adds Toni Femenía-who have been able to access it has been found that while aid has

increased only 2%, the amount to be paid has risen by since the residences are taken by law

to hire more staff, especially health, bringing an h increased their expenditures and also

shifting the cost to users. "
In absolute terms, the relatives of the mentally ill have gone to pay 1,300 euros to 1,800 euros.
To zastopanje these fares has caused, according to the union, that some families of mentally ill

people "had to bring their relatives because they can not pay the rises."
The situation is compounded, according to the source, the special characteristics of these

mentally ill: "Many of them are drug addicts, alcoholics or schizophrenic who have to be cared

for by their families, with the risks and without that they can receive the attention

professionalized they deserve, "said the head of Mental Health UGT.
Moreover, the Government is giving priority to the recognition of aid dependency to the sick who

are already in public residences, instead of giving priority to the 900 that are already being

cared for by their families. "
Here Femenía anticipated that the Government might be "receiving aid of their own."
Lastly, the FSP-UGT has demanded the Government to take "urgent action and to begin to provide

solutions to the serious problems facing the mentally ill and their families for a clear

carelessness of the Valencian Government in caring for the neediest" .