Disabili, la storia siciliana arriva sul tavolo della ministra Locatelli. E i fondi per il "Dopo di Noi" si sbloccano

On the table of the Minister for Disability Alessandra Locatelli, in recent days, has landed the case of Palazzolo Acreide reported by La Sicilia: one of the few family homes established thanks to the law on After Us that risks closing because there are no more funds. Or rather, the money is available, but it remains stuck in Rome or caught up in the coffers of the Sicilian Region. And the people with disabilities living there - now without parents or with parents too old to care for them - would end up in nursing homes or worse, in psychiatric communities. Fortunately, this will not be the case, because the ministry has given the green light to unlock about 620,000 euros to be allocated to the very few Sicilian social health districts where the "After Us" works. Among these is Siracusa, which also includes Palazzolo Acreide. 

The 2016 law was created to answer the question that most troubles the parents of a non-self-sufficient person: what will happen to him/her when we are no longer here? The law lays the groundwork for building a future by supporting personalized projects. But in Sicily, it is a disaster. 

For ten years, the Ministry of Social Policies has allocated significant resources, but of about 52 million euros overall destined for Sicily, only 11.2 have arrived on the island, that is, only the first two years, 2016 and 2017. Of these, the Region - which oversees the 55 social health districts - has been able to account for about 35%. As a result, Rome has turned off the taps, because resources are allocated to the Regions only if they have been able to spend 75% of those already in their possession. The result? From 2018 to 2024, 41 million euros have accumulated in the ministry's coffers. 

The ones paying the price are the rare realities where projects have started, six social health districts out of 55: San Cataldo, Termini Imerese, Ragusa, Siracusa, Pantelleria, and Castelvetrano. Here, the available funds have been spent and are gone. Meanwhile, the other districts either formally refused the funds or never responded to the various requests made by the regional department for the Family to plan the initiatives to be undertaken.

In both cases, the rights of the disabled are being violated, as it concerns Essential Levels of Social Services. This lack should lead to the commissioning of the districts, to prevent what is already happening on the island: first-class disabled individuals in areas where things work, second-class if they are unfortunate enough to live elsewhere. Meanwhile, the Region has proposed to the ministry to redistribute unspent resources to the six virtuous districts. But so far, Rome has responded negatively, emphasizing that since 2023 there is a regulation that obliges the Region to return all unspent funds to the ministry. 

Now, however - after the newspaper La Sicilia reported the case of Palazzolo - a glimmer of hope has opened regarding the funds from 2016, amounting to 620,000 euros. Meanwhile, another 300,000 euros related to 2017 will be the subject of further discussions between the ministry, the regional department, and the social health districts. About 190,000 euros will go to the Siracusa district. Thus, the life of the family home in Palazzolo, managed by the Anffas association, is extended by 46 weeks. The current residents are especially happy: Maria Santa, Pietro, and Santino, who during our visit to the facility shared their anxieties and fears of seeing the family they have built dissolved with a stroke of a pen. But Stefano, who from Noto would like to join, will also be happy if his municipality, together with the health company, can draft the life project, a mandatory preliminary step to access "After Us". 

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the topic arrives at the Ars, in the Health and Social Services Commission. Called to explain the failure of the measure in Sicily are the president Renato Schifani, as interim commissioner, and the general director Ettore Foti.