New night shelter for the elderly at Luqa

A new night shelter for the elderly would be opened at St Vincent de Paul residence at Luqa, the Parliamentary Secretary for Community Care, Mario Galea, said.

Earlier this year, the government opened the first night shelter at Dar il-Madonna tal-Mellieħa complex, Mellieħa, following the success of a pilot project at Jesus of Nazareth Institute in Żejtun.

“In the meantime, talks are being held with the Church authorities and local councils to open more night shelters,” Mr Galea said.

The Times reported last month that provision of care homes for the elderly was reaching crisis point, with people waiting to get into state-run homes outnumbering residents.

There were 1,107 people on the waiting list to be admitted to one of the eight government homes, which offer a total of 1,000 beds. Homes for the elderly owned and run by the Church are also almost full with an occupancy rate of nearly 95 per cent.

Mr Galea said there were 18 day centres in which 1,500 elderly attended regularly. Some €118,000 had been allocated to open two other new day centres situated in Kirkop and Siġġiewi respectively.

Mr Galea said that Zammit Clapp Hospital would soon start to serve as a nursing home for the elderly and would be accommodating 112 residents. The former Blue Sisters’ Hospital served as a geriatric care hospital before being closed down shortly after Mater Dei Hospital opened. The government had originally planned to convert it into an oncology hospital – taking over from Boffa Hospital – before opting for a purpose-built facility adjoining Mater Dei.