Two residents have already moved into Monaco’s new Unité de vie partagée, a shared home designed to bridge the gap between living alone and life in a care home.
Her Serene Highness Princess Stéphanie visited the unit on Monday, October 5, in Block A of the Hemera development. She was joined by Christophe Robino, Government Counsellor for Social Affairs and Health, and Jean-François Calme, president of AMAPEI, the association for people with disabilities of which she is honorary president.
The unit, which opened on July 1, has ten rooms, eight of them for residents. They share a kitchen, a bathroom and a lounge. A specialist educator supports the residents every day.
The Government created it to widen the choice of housing for people with disabilities. The aim is to give residents a safe and welcoming home while helping them build independence in daily life.
AMAPEI already runs several services for adults with disabilities in the Principality. They include two activity centres named after Princess Stéphanie, a residential home in Cap d’Ail for nine adults and a service that supports people living in their own flats. The new unit fills a gap between that supported housing and fully independent living.
Image courtesy of Direction de la Communication / Stéphane Danna