Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1491702
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 FEBRUARY 2023 12 HEALTHCARE PAUL COCKS Can you tell me a bit about yourself? I'm 45 years old and have been working with CareMalta since 2009. I answered a vacancy with- in CareMalta, and I was given the opportunity to work as a Facili- ty Manager at Cospicua Home, which was a dream come true since Cospicua is also my home- town. Today, I cannot believe that I form part of a Group that this year is celebrating its 30th An- niversary. For the past 30 years, CareMalta Group created ex- ceptional services for the elderly, while time and effort have been invested in the area of disability. Before joining CareMal- ta Group I decided to leave everything and travel around the world. Back then, I was working in Accountancy since my De- gree is in Accounts, but when I returned to Malta my wish was to work in a different sector, if possible, the social one. is may sound like a cliche' but that expe- rience changed my perspective in life. It was an experience that changed me. After five years working at Cos- picua Home as Facility Manager, I approached my CEO, back then Ms Natalie Briffa Farrugia who is now the Chairperson of Vassallo Group, to see what other oppor- tunities were there within Care- Malta Group to help me grow and she mentioned a particular project. e Group had been mulling the possibility of going into the disability sector or the alternative care sector. HILA was born upon the wish of the Founder of Vassallo Group, Mr Nazzareno Vassallo, togeth- er with today's Chairperson, Ms Natalie Briffa Farrugia to concre- tize the many requests which had been received in the past about offering services to persons with disability apart from the elderly. e first two years were mainly about researching the sector in which we now operate. During that period, I tried to think of a possible name for this new ser- vice we were tailoring and, since I love the Maltese language, it's like the word HILA came naturally to my mind. HILA is a beautiful Maltese word that means ability - commonly used in the Maltese language. It was then also giv- en a further meaning in English through its initial Home to Inde- pendence and Limitless Abilities. Even our logo was designed by a member of our then Consulta- tive Committee, Clifford Portelli, who is himself a person with a physical disability. Slowly, we started looking for suitable properties. First, we bought Casa Apap Bologna, in Mosta. en we bought what is today Dar Bjorn in Qormi and Casal Nuovo in Paola. We en- tered the disability sector as a pri- vate enterprise and then in 2017, we reached an agreement with Agenzija Sapport and started of- fering our services through the government, who offers subsidies that are crucial for most families. Our latest project is Santa Rosa, in Mosta - a further specialisa- tion to what we currently offer at Casa Apap Bologna, with a tai- lor-made service for children and adolescents, with a special focus on challenging behaviour. Over a few years, we slowly started, offering mixed respite services at Casa Apap Bologna, so we had residents who stayed at the house and others who visited for services. In the case of Casal Nuovo, which opened its doors on the 10th of June 2021, it is a totally different concept, as Casal Nuovo de-institutionalized 50 persons from Mount Carmel Hospital, where they had lived many years, some of them even most of their lives. e de-institutionalization of these acute clients was a first in our islands and today they are living as part of a community in the heart of Paola. And I guess for the residents and the families, even being away from Mt Carmel – which unfortunately still has somewhat of a stigma associated with it – would have been a big first step? It took us a year to say that the residents had fully settled down in their new environment. It was a huge learning curve for both the residents and us but today I Part of CareMalta Group, HILA has introduced new models of care in Malta, offering residential and respite services for people with disabilities, challenging behaviour and mental health illnesses. At the helm is Janet Silvio, CEO of HILA, that is making a tangible difference in the lives of so many. Janet speaks to MaltaToday about what led her to CareMalta and HILA, the challenges faced when operating in the sector and what to expect in 2023 HILA and its concept of 'an extended 30 years of CareMalta Group HILA CEO Janet Silvio