Facts first. Today, almost one in every four Maltese people is aged 60+. In raw numbers, that’s almost 100,000 people, slightly more than half of whom are women. And all indications are that these numbers will continue to increase in the next couple of decades.
In financial terms, the trend is already weighing heavily on public offers. The total yearly government expenditure on retirement benefits almost hits the €400 million mark, more than half the total social security spending. In the last three years alone, the retirement benefits bill increased by 15 per cent.
Yet despite such massive public funds being allocated to keep the elderly financially bouyant, they are certainly not out of the woods yet.
One out of every five elderly people is at risk of poverty. A 2009 survey revealed that nearly 65 per cent of the elderly said they cannot afford to eat a meal that includes meat, chicken, fish (or vegetarian equivalent) every second day.
One out of every three said they cannot afford unexpected expenses of over €450, and 13per cent said they cannot heat their home as much as they would like to.
This brings us to the key question. Can the elderly look towards moving into a nursing home as a solution? Not really.
The availability of beds in government-funded homes is almost nil. Furthermore, and rightly so, beds which become available are assigned to those who require acute care. If you are an elderly person who is not dependent on care, your chances of getting a bed are slim.
The writing is on the wall. Until 10 years ago, nursing home residents were mostly in the 70- to 85-year-old bracket. Today, almost all elderly people are aged 85 or over. The 80 residents at Zammit Clapp are practically all chronically dependent and come from the government’s list, not directly from the community. In reality, Zammit Clapp is a hospital for the elderly, not a home.
Is moving into a private nursing home an option? Yes it is, if you can afford rates of between €35-€55 a day, depending on the elderly person’s state of health.
These are not high rates at all when put in perspective.
They are much lower than hotel rates and a nursing home provides so much more than full board accommodation.
Nursing home rates have also been frozen for the last eight years, except for adjustments linked to cost-of-living allowances.
Is the private sector moving in to build new nursing homes to address the demand? Not really, and for good reason.
A nursing home has very high operational costs; the market cannot afford higher rates and therefore the profit marginsare slim.
It is enough to make a back-of-an-envelope calculation. Today, nurses and carers command a salary of around €25,000 and €15,000 respectively. Theirservice to just one elderly person on a rotating basis should beeasy to calculate.
Not including all the other costs – hotel services, physio and occupational therapy, senior carers, the capital, maintenance and administration costs as well as the not insignificant water and electricity bills.
Clearly then, the only option left to provide adequate and affordable independent living solutions to the 100,000 elderly Maltese men and women – the geriatric nation – is to thinkoutside the box.
New ways need to be urgently found to make it possible for the elderly to continue living in their homes and their communities for as long as possible.