While many are hoping for a new mobile phone or a nice dinner out this Christmas, there are some elderly people who are wishing upon a star for a quick chat or a pat on the shoulder.

“A simple touch to say ‘I’m here with you’ will lift up their spirit. Unfortunately, society still keeps away from people who can no longer communicate verbally or those who are hooked up to machines. These elderly people still have feelings,” Gemma Pavia, charge nurse at Residenza Sant’Anna, within the Gozo General Hospital, told this newspaper.

Ms Pavia has spent 13 years working with the elderly. Residenza Sant’Anna is one of the three homes participating in a pilot project called Naħseb Fik. Launched earlier this month, the campaign aims at bringing some festive cheer to 200 elderly people. Residenza Sant’Anna currently hosts women aged 65 to 98, most of whom cannot stay at home as they need medical assistance. Every one of the 81 women there had different needs, Ms Pavia said, noting that most could not express them because of some form of cognitive impairment.

While material presents made them happy, the ultimate gift was spending time with them, she added. For those unable to hold a conversation, a simple tap on the shoulder or a squeeze of the hand would lift their spirits.

“Visitors can, for example, communicate by touch with patients who have suffered a massive stroke. I usually tell their relatives to massage their hands and feet.

We need to accept that people are living longer and we need to understand the different conditions related to older age. Such conditions transform the people we know

“If they can speak but suffer from dementia, don’t argue with them. If it’s sunny but they say it’s raining, just continue with the conversation.”

Asked about the residents’ wishes this Christmas, Ms Pavia said they would mostly rejoice when people spent some time with them and held activities such as carol singing. In fact, she is one of those who this Christmas produced a short play with her colleagues. “Seeing their joy supersedes any sacrifice. Satisfaction is what ultimately drives us in our work more than anything.”

Her appeal this Christmas – which, she hoped, should last all year through - is to give the elderly some time: “We need to accept that people are living longer and we need to understand the different conditions related to older age. Such conditions transform the people we know. If they cannot speak, talk to them and if they cannot hear you, just touch their hand.”

Her appeal was reiterated by Ġorġa Grech, 86, who lives at the same residence. She said she was already looking forward to spending Christmas and New Year’s Day with her family. In between her relatives’ “frequent visits”, the great-grandmother of five spends her time making ornaments, knitting or sewing.

Asked what she wished for this Christmas, she said: “If only the other residents received as many visitors as I do…”

Her carer, Josette Cassar, explained that there were residents, especially those who were bed-bound, who would ask about their relatives even if they were just five minutes late.

“They would have been keeping an eye on the clock and waiting for that visit all day. If their relatives are five minutes late they would ask whether something is wrong,” she said.

Wish list

The wish-list is very simple: a medium-sized cardigan for Eucharisto and size 38 slippers for Josephine, however only a third of the requests have been fulfilled so far.

Launched by Lina Pecorella and the Parliamentary Secretary for the Elderly, the project Naħseb Fik is calling on the local community to make an effort this Christmas and sponsor a gift for an elderly person. A large number of the elderly usually spend Christmas on their own, receive no Christmas cards, no phone calls and no gifts.

Ms Pecorella came up with the idea after sponsoring a gift for a similar campaign in Lithuania. “You wake up one day and you feel that you want to give something back to society.

After launching a similar campaign to fulfil the dreams of children with social needs, I thought we could do something similar for another vulnerable group – the elderly.”

The needs listed on the site www.nahsebfik.com seem simple, as most of the material needs of those at residences are catered for.

However there were others who still lived within the community and lacked food and toiletry items, she noted. The project was launched within homes for the elderly but it could be extended to others if it proves successful.