A growing number of elderly people who live in residential homes are feeling forgotten by their grandchildren who do not visit them, according to Philip Chircop, founder of the Grandparents Malta Foundation.

“This is becoming more common. Children visit their grandparents until they reach their teens. Then they start going out to Paceville, studying, working and their lives get hectic and they stop finding the time,” Mr Chircop said.

“Not being visited can be very heartbreaking for grandparents. We even hear of cases of people who visit them at the end of the month, when the pension cheque comes in,” he added.

It has become one of the missions of the foundation – which marked its first anniversary yesterday – to raise awareness among young people in schools about the importance of visiting the elderly.

In this year the foundation even set up the ‘Adopt a grandparent’ campaign urging young people to visit and help elderly people who might not have grandchildren.

Set up on September 23, 2013, the foundation was inspired by the speech of Pope Francis during the World Youth Forum in Brazil held in July 2013. The Pope praised the role of grandparents and described them as “a treasure to be preserved and strengthened”.

Since it was set up the foundation managed to achieve more than it set out to, Mr Chircop said. It even managed to get Parliament to approve a motion to establish Grandparents Day to be celebrated on the second Sunday of October.

The aim of Grandparents Day is to keep focus on the older generation by preserving and strengthening solidarity between generations. The young are encouraged to honour and thank their grandparents for the wisdom and family values they share.

The foundation also aims to help grandparents appreciate the contribution they could give when they act as a role model to the younger generation.

It has also undertaken various projects including an agreement signed with St James Hospital for its members to benefit from a 10 per cent discount.

The foundation is also collaborating with Parliamentary Secretary for the elderly Justyne Caruana on active ageing initiatives and is working to fight elderly abuse.

On Sunday a group of 40 elderly people will be joining the foundation to represent Malta in Rome during a Papal audience for the elderly and grandparents.

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