Day care centres for the elderly have been around for a number of years. A number of centres have been set up and there is also one in Gozo. The purpose is to help prevent social isolation and the feeling of loneliness, and to reduce the social interaction difficulties which older persons tend to encounter.

It also aims to motivate the elderly by encouraging them to participate in social and entertaining activities. By enabling older persons and persons with disability to remain as independent and socially integrated as possible, it also provides respite for their relatives and caregivers.

Persons over 60 may apply, but other cases may be considered on their own merits. Priority is usually given to those elderly persons who are living alone, are not engaged in any social activities and who could be at risk when spending long hours on their own.

This service is subsidised by the state. A person attending the day centre is required to pay a nominal fee, which ranges from Lm1 to Lm 2.50 a month, depending on how many times s/he attends the centre.

The main activities organised at the day centres include physical education, social and creative activities. These activities are complemented by educational talks on topics of particular relevance to older adults. Guest speakers are invited to deliver talks about health issues, home safety, welfare services, etc.

In addition, outdoor activities may also be held periodically. Day centres promote intergenerational activities by inviting students to share experiences with older adults. This will also encourage community work among young people.

In Gozo, residential care for the elderly is available at the Mental section of the Gozo General Hospital for male patients and at the St Anne Residence for female patients. There is a waiting list for these places as these are both full.

Due to an inadequate complement of nursing staff, the beds at the St Anne Residence couldn't be fully utilised but the situation has been rectified partially by the transfer of a number of nurses from Malta to Gozo. Residential care is also provided privately at a limited number of old people's homes run by religious orders.

One may ask, why has the residence at San Lawrenz not been opened to residents?

It's a pity that a project that was launched with so much fanfare is now lying idle with the premises needing maintenance work before it even starts functioning.

The same can be said about the Social Action Movement (MAS) project at Ghajnsielem. Lots of funds have been spent to build these residential homes for the elderly. Why are they not functioning? Is it a management and staffing problem? To run such places you need good management and trained staff, and to have these you need money.

Public-private partnerships on modern lines, not as we used to think of them, when it was expected that unlimited public funds are provided to run a private entity, should be initiated in this regard. The local councils should study the possibility of entering into agreements with the private sector to launch this idea and open residential centres in their locality.

These centres can function as a day centre, a night centre or a complete residential home, according to the needs of the persons who apply.

In principle, these homes or centres will consist of a physically and emotionally safe and secure environment for elderly persons and persons with disability who can no longer cope with living in their own homes. The bedrooms in these residential homes should be equipped with an en-suite bathroom and kitchenette.

They should also have a nurse call system in case of emergencies. Other facilities may include air-conditioning, central heating, and telephones in each room for incoming and internal calls, card phone facilities, communal dining rooms, communal TV/living rooms and a chapel.

What type of accommodation taken is left in the hands of the persons who apply. Some persons are capable of looking after themselves during the day but they don't feel secure at night to sleep on their own, either because of their health condition or due to safety reasons. So they will opt to sleep in these homes at night.

Others feel lonely during the day since at night they have someone to care for them. So they opt to attend as day cases. Others have no one to look after them and due to their physical or mental state they need day and night care, although they do not need hospital care.

Modern day living is making it more difficult for the family to look after their elderly on a 24-hour basis. It is not a bad idea for the elderly persons to think of their future and put apart some of their money to enable them to pay for their care in such residences as otherwise they will end in hospital or living on their own.

It doesn't make sense to part with your possessions and end up with nothing when you need it most. It may also be the case that parents are being looked after by just one of their children.

Family wealth should be divided in a way that these needs of our elderly are taken into consideration and it also helps to avoid much discontent and disagreement among members of the same family.

This idea will take time to take root and be followed but it is the only possible way to ensure elderly care in the future. The state cannot provide residential care for free to all its elderly citizens. The elderly will always form a segment of our population but the proportion is growing.

This is not possible even in the most advanced European countries. As a temporary solution, the day centre provided by the Ministry for Gozo should be upgraded to offer shelter to those persons who do not feel safe on their own at night.

There are a number of elderly persons who afraid to spend the night on their own. A pilot project can be worked out with the involvement of the private sector.

What is going to happen to the home at San Lawrenz and the facilities at Ghajnsielem? Are they going to be left unused after so much work and money has been put in them?

If the respective entities are unable to manage these places profitably, they should lease them to private entities who are capable of running them. The local councils should be involved in these projects and work out a partnership with these entities to provide a much needed service. In Gozo, there are families who are capable of paying for such a service.

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