Elderly deserve the best

Thanks to the advancement in medicine, a better standard of living and more awareness about health issues, life expectancy in Malta has risen to 77 years for men and 82 for women, a steady increase since 1960, making life expectancy here one of the highest within the European Union.

… the elderly can still make valid contributions to society…- David Casa

Given an ageing population, it was, therefore, necessary for us as a country to be prepared not only to offer primary health care to the elderly but to target their specific needs. With family needs evolving as the world progresses, it is not always possible for families to take care of their elderly and, thus, special centres have to be made available for these persons to live in comfort and dignity. Traditional old people’s homes had, to a point, served their purpose but it was clear that our elderly deserve better. Over these last decades, the government has invested heavily, both in infrastructure and in specialised management to offer the best conditions possible for the elderly who retire in a home and, maybe more importantly, to those who prefer to remain in their own homes.

The setting up of the Department for the Elderly in 1987 has helped in no small way to identify those areas where older adults needed most help and has, through various projects and exercises, found a way to address them.

Obviously, the ideal situation would be one where such persons remain in the comfort of their own home and, thus, initiatives like meals on wheels, the handyman service, home care, incontinence services and telecare were launched with much success. These services have given the elderly the opportunity to keep themselves integrated in their village social life while at the same time they have offered peace of mind to their families who know that these services are reliable and professional.

However, unfortunately, it is not always possible for older adults to continue living in their own homes and, thus, there was the need to invest in longer term residential facilities.

Apart from St Vincent de Paul Home for the Elderly we now have eight other residences across our islands that accommodate elderly people who, for some reason or another, are not entirely independent. The recurrent expenditure for all this is close to €50 million a year but the department did not stop there.

The department’s agenda was not just to offer a bed but to keep the elderly as active as possible. Besides the constant monitoring of those with special needs, various activities are being held in these homes to keep residents as active as possible.

The introduction of day care centres some years back was also a very important step. The 19 day centres scattered all over the island have offered a means to many pensioners to keep themselves integrated in their village life while being given the necessary attention during daytime.

Another bold step was the introduction of the night shelter in Żejtun in 2009. This project, which the department aims to extend to other villages, offers a protective environment for those who for some reason feel insecure and has addressed an issue that maybe was not given its due attention throughout the years.

A night shelter was opened in Mellieħa and another one will open at St Vincent de Paul in the near future. Needless to say, all the residences are equipped with all the necessary amenities, internet access and all the accessories that are part of our everyday life.

It is important to understand that the elderly can still make valid contributions to society and, thus, we are in duty bound to make their lives as comfortable as possible.

One cannot write about this subject without mentioning the various courses offered to the elderly. These have been a huge success and the response has exceeded all expectations.

This is all part of an agenda that Nationalist governments have embraced throughout the years, that is the policy of offering opportunities to everyone alike.

Much more needs to be done and as much as the work of the department and of Parliamentary Secretary Mario Galea’s excellent team is indispensable it is also important that families remain part of the elderly person’s life as much as possible.

Mr Casa is a Nationalist member of the European Parliament.