The ALLEM Federation, representing 18 disability organizations in the Lleida demarcation, has requested the Generalitat de Catalunya to implement rural personal assistance within the Social Services Portfolio. This request follows the confirmation of positive results from the pilot project Som Rurals – Som de Muntanya (We Are Rural – We Are Mountain).
The federation's specific proposal is to incorporate two community support agents in each county to assist people with intellectual disabilities, mental health issues, and other social vulnerability situations. The pilot, carried out over the last three years in nine counties of Lleida, identified 131 vulnerable individuals suffering from unwanted loneliness, and provided support to 41 of them.
“"The project has a very important human dimension and demonstrates the need to recognize the specificity of rural and mountain territories."
The coordinator of the ALLEM Federation, Assumpta Fortuny, explained that the support followed a person-centered care model. This work is crucial for users who might be “outside the system” due to difficulties accessing social or health services because they live in areas far from county capitals.
In counties like Alt Urgell, nearly thirty vulnerable people were identified, and seven received accompaniment services. Urgell Escribà, director of Integra Pirineus, indicated that temporary follow-ups will be scheduled to maintain the connection, although not with the same weekly frequency as during the pilot, which concluded in December 2025.
