Extension inaugurated at St Vincent de Paul Home
A €9.2 million extension with four new wards was inaugurated at St Vincent de Paul Home for the Elderly this morning in a ceremony attended by hundreds of guests.
The inauguration was made by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Parliamentary Secretary Mario Galea.
Mr Galea said the new three-storey block, named after Pope John Paul II, had been completed in a year and featured the first purpose-built ward for dementia patients.
In all, the block has 144 beds in comfortable surroundings which include air conditioning, en-suite rooms and energy-saving equipment which is expected to bring about a saving of €64,000 in electricity costs every year.
Mr Galea drew contrasts between the new block and an old, dark ward which it will replace. In the past, he said, elderly people used to be scared of going to St Vincent de Paule - then known as l-Ingieret. Now they were queuing to go there.
The government, he said, was committed to making the life of elderly people as comfortable as possible, both in the community and in institutions such as this. The elderly had given their service to the country. They were also the messengers and the guardians of the values which distinguished the Maltese as a people.
Dr Gonzi in his address underlined the important role of elderly people in society. He thanked all those involved in the building of this extension and said that a night shelter for the elderly would be opened at Zejtun in a couple of weeks.
The ceremony was attended by residents of the home, their relatives and representatives of NGOs, among others.
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Alfred Cassar
May 23rd 2010, 20:31
Some people never change, the likes of Charles Massa and J Camilleri are born Negatives and live all their lives as Negatives. Come on people, if you don't want to give your praise, at least do not write anything in here.
Give us a break and say WELL DONE for once, if you have it in your vocabulary
Frank Dingli
May 23rd 2010, 20:30
An impressive deed. I remember that building and its nothing like it is shown in the clip.
Some comments underneath are simply unbeleivable. One cannot criticise what is good. Of course if you're not happy just dont let your parents apply to stay in the new wards thus making space for other people.
Well done to Honor Mario Galea.
F. Grima
Sliema
Carmen Farrugia
May 23rd 2010, 20:20
Prosit and well done to Hon Galea for his work in state of the art building of John Paul II. Impressive wards for everyone most of all those persons suffering from dementia. well done for a good piece of work.
Joseph E Briffa
May 23rd 2010, 19:21
Dr Lynn Zahra......as a lawyer I suppose you do know that allegations have to be proved in the first place. Making allegations for political mileage is a very old tactic. Remember Dr A Sant making all sorts of allegations of corruption in the run-up to the 1996 elections? Remember that when he was elected and appointed Dr E Mizzi to look into these allegations, Dr Mizzi did NOT find one single instance where the allegations were proved?. So much for empty talk.
J.Camilleri
May 23rd 2010, 19:11
Hmm! 9,2 million euros? Large sum of money considering the building was already there!
The building was only restored.
c.camilleri
May 23rd 2010, 18:13
In the past it was a disgrace for elderlies to stay at .'L-Imgiret' because of the dilapidted state of the place and poor treatment. In fact this was a place where elderlies were to spent their few remianing days there wih the least care available. This is no longer. The Nats' Govts has turned St. Vincent de Paule into a well deserved resting place for our elderlies Now no one find it any longer shameful to send her/his parents there. In fact there is a long waiting list. Here one can mention the various homes erected by again Nats' Govt all over the island where the elderlies are given the best treatment ever. The great amelioation at St. Vincent De Paule coupled with the building of homes all over the island are momunents for the Nationaists' Govt. WELL DONE
Anthony Mizzi
May 23rd 2010, 20:38
Trying to re-write history as usual?
H.Zammit
May 23rd 2010, 17:45
Dear Mr. Galea,
On behalf of the frail elderly, who will be using the new wing at St.Vincent de Paule in the future, I want to say A BIG THANK YOU. Keep it up. Give the elderly more.They deserve it. Do not be discouraged by the usual comments coming either by some prophets of doom or by those who simply cannot control their political jealousy.
Anthony Mizzi
May 23rd 2010, 20:43
Dear Mr. Galea,
Now that the Extension has been inaugurated at St Vincent de Paul Home, can the procedure for entry be published as soon as possiblefor transparency's sake. IO hope that eligibility is the same for the general tax-paying public and not through an unkown and unpublished selection process?
Does one have to go through Dr. Paul Borg Olivier’s P.N.’s outgoing General Secretary’s customercare@gonzipn.com to be included in an unpublished waiting list?
Or will one have to find the "ziemel" to have his entry form processed?
Charles Massa
May 23rd 2010, 16:00
Prim ministru u ministru ghax irrangaw blokk SVDP. Mhux ghal hekk inhalsu it taxxi sur prim ministru biex jittrangaw dawn l affarijiet. Wara kollox dawn l anzjani hekk haqqhom tal kontribut li taw tul hajjithom. Infakkrek li min qieghed SVDP penzjoni mizera ghandu ghax il gvern johodlu aktar minn 90 fil mija tal penzjoni u l anzjani lanqas beix jiehdu kafa ma jibqalhom. Ghal hekk ma nistax nifhoem dawn il ftahir kollu. L isptar gie irrangat mil penzjoni thaghhom stess.
Joe Xuereb
May 23rd 2010, 13:14
Is this the same St Vincent de Paule Home for the Elderly that featured a couple of days back in a reader's letter, drawing attention to inappropriate disco music being played all day and relayed even to individual residents' rooms?
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100521/letters/loud-music-forced-on-elderly-residents
J. Borg
May 23rd 2010, 12:55
Well done for the advances being made in dementia care!! But cannot agree more with the need of more domiciliary services and community care, which unfortunately is very lacking in some professions. Education of relatives, carers and the patient himself must also be the main focus so as to decrease the demands of institutionalisation and its effects on the patient. Unfortunately community care seems to have been put aside again!
Kirill Micallef Stafrace
May 23rd 2010, 11:34
A step in the right direction. However, Hon Galea seems to be under the impression that people are 'queuing to go there' for the joy of being residents in SVDR and not because of the need of residential care. Domiciliary home care support must be improved significantly so the list of people 'queuing to go there' decreases and a waiting list is not seen as a measurement of the quality of service provided at SVPR.
Dr.Lynn Zahra L.L.D
May 23rd 2010, 13:50
Congratulations Dr.Galea. Given the gravity of the serious allegations of corrpution against the Govt. which many , like me, believe to be true, your achievment on behalf of the elderly has to be a Government action which redeems this Government greatly at this moment in time.
@Kirl MS
Caring for elderly people who are incapacitated in some way or who are suffering from demetia at home is in most cases, simply not an option today - unless one does not need to work for his/her living that is.