I was recently holidaying in Malta, during May and June, and was very shocked at the way elderly people there are cared for.

I was visiting some people and one of them is very poorly, cannot feed herself or walk and is in dreadful pain when you move her due to arthritis, etc.

A carer came to get her ready for bed at 4.30 p.m. The carer was in the house for 15 minutes and she just changed the woman’s nappy. She did not come back to check on her until 8 a.m. the following day at least! The elderly woman had to stay in bed like that all night. And if she soiled her nappy there is no one to change it for her.

Oh, by the way, on Saturday and Sunday they do not wash the elderly because they don’t have the time. Where is dignity? I’m sure if it were a child that was involved carers such as this would soon be reported for not washing or caring for them.

This person needed two carers to help her and only one carer visits. It broke my heart to see how she was treated. She was never even asked if she wanted a drink and there was no conversation at all.

I thought Malta was a caring country as it has a big population of elderly people.

Where is the money going that Malta gets from the EU to be used for health care?

I have been visiting Malta for over 35 years and I feel indeed very sad that it is going backwards since it joined the EU.

Come on people of Malta, speak up as you will all be old one day!