Fit and healthy at 60+

A group of people over 60 attended for the first fitness class at the Day Centre for the Elderly, which was officially inugurated this morning.

The centre, for the elderly of Mellieha and Manikata, is the 17th day centre in the country and is to be run by the council and the government.The Mellieha council has forked out €20,000 and the centre will be manned by civil servants, mayor Robert Cutajar said.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Care of the Elderly Mario Galea, officially inaugurated the centre and said it was another step towards an active lifestyle for the elderly.

He said reality showed that more people were moving towards a fourth stage in life so it was important that services provided at these centres reflected this reality.

He said that the Mellieha home for the elderly in Mellieha, which was adjacent to the centre, was to start offering a night shelter service for elderly who wanted to continue living in their own home. Another night shelter was opening at the Zejtun home.

The home, he said, would also be offering a respite service for family members to leave their elderly relatives for short periods at the home while they took a holiday, for example.

Mr Cutajar said the day centre aimed at teaching the elderly modern skills, such as using ATMs and mobile phones, will be organised. Those who were interested would also be able to learn how to use a computer.