A modern, welcoming and highly specialised facility dedicated to the care of children and adults with cognitive and behavioural disorders or physical, sensory and mental disabilities, aimed at providing comprehensive care for service users and their families. On Tuesday 11 November, the new Giovanni Paolo I Rehabilitation Centre, managed by the social cooperative Medihospes, a member of the Consorzio La Cascina, was officially inaugurated at Via Francesco Antolisei 19, Rome.
Among those attending the event were the President of the Regional Council of Lazio, Antonello Aurigemma, and the Secretary of State of His Holiness, His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, President of the Fondazione Vaticana Giovanni Paolo I. The plaque at the entrance to the outpatient clinic was unveiled together with several children from the Rehabilitation Centre, and the blessing ceremony was officiated.
The team of neurologists, psychologists, child neuropsychiatrists, speech therapists and neuro-psychomotor therapists for developmental age, coordinated by Dr Daniela Di Venanzio, will provide care to more than nine hundred families per week within the approximately 256 m² facility, which includes nine consultation rooms and a rehabilitation gym. Treatments are provided on an outpatient and rehabilitative basis for patients with autism or Specific Learning Disorders (DSA), cognitive-behavioural disabilities, complex disabilities (sensory and motor) and neurodegenerative conditions.
In addition to individual psychotherapy, cognitive and motor rehabilitation, parental support and integrated specialist consultations, the strengths of the Giovanni Paolo I Centre include rapid response times with care plans initiated within a few days, free initial consultations, a personalised approach, the central role of the service user–family relationship, continuity of care over time, and integration with schools, local communities and social services. This integrated approach reflects Medihospes’ longstanding commitment to supporting the most vulnerable people across the city of Rome.
On the occasion of the inauguration, the social cooperative belonging to the Consorzio La Cascina released its latest infographic on neurodevelopmental disorders (ASD, ADHD, DSA) in Italy and, more specifically, in Rome. Improved diagnostic accuracy and growing awareness among families and schools regarding autism and behavioural and learning disorders have enabled Medihospes to record a 20% increase in service users over the past five years. According to the cooperative’s data, one child in 77 has received a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, and in just five years the number of cases has doubled, with more than 7,000 children aged between seven and nine currently receiving care.
In Lazio, there are only 118 active centres, often characterised by long waiting times, limited access, and discontinuity in treatment. For this reason, the new Giovanni Paolo I Rehabilitation Centre represents an essential service, particularly in a densely populated area of Rome.