The Care Agency’s Waterport Terraces Day Centre opened its doors on Monday to welcome back its elderly service users for the first time since Gibraltar went into its first lockdown in March 2020.

Nevertheless, the service was adjusted during the lockdown period and the outreach work by the Care Agency allowed for service users to carry out tailor made activities delivered to their homes by the Waterport Day Centre team. Of course, this was not a replacement for the sense of family and belonging that the Day Centre brings.

The Waterport Day Centre premises have also been in constant use in supporting the Care Agency in other COVID-19 related matters, by using it as a base for carrying out PCR testing for all its staff and coordinating other services.

The Day Centre will now, once again, be inviting new service users to attend and Monday morning service users were extremely happy to be welcomed back by the team at the day centre and by Minister Sacramento who was delighted to see them all return.

CEO of the Care Agency, Mr Carlos Banderas, said: “I am delighted that the Waterport Day Centre is now able to resume its service after a long and challenging period. I would like to acknowledge the patience and understanding of our service users throughout such difficult times. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Waterport Day Centre Team for their care and professionalism demonstrated in their outreach work, as well as in their support for staff in other matters relating to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Their hard work has most certainly paid off.”

The Minister for Health and Care, the Hon Samantha Sacramento, said: “As the community strives to regain a semblance of normality, and given the very low prevalence of the virus in Gibraltar, I am extremely pleased to announce the reopening of the Waterport Day Centre and I would like to welcome back all the elderly service users. This is a great step towards their return to normality after such a difficult period. Since its inauguration in November 2013, The Waterport Day Centre has grown tremendously as a service, providing a safe and caring environment for our elderly to enjoy. I would like to thank the dedicated staff at the Waterport Day Centre and the Care Agency for their careful and considerable planning involved in the opening as well as all the service users for their understanding throughout the Pandemic.”