Within 22 years the number of people over 65 is projected to shoot up to nearly 103,000 compared to 68,400 in 2011. A national active ageing policy being released tomorrow attempts to facilitate this delicate transition. Ariadne Massa speaks to Elderly Parliamentary Secretary Franco Mercieca and Active Ageing Commission chairman Marvin Formosa.

As a 30-year-old man in the peak of his ophthalmic profession, Mr Mercieca was marked by the way his father retired from his job as an education officer.

“I remember he just received a letter informing him his services were no longer required and that was it. One day he was wearing his suit to go to work and the next day he was without a job,” he recalls.

“There was no attempt to keep him involved in the labour market to minimise the jolt, even though he still had so much to contribute – you can’t buy experience,” he adds.

This personal experience remains foremost in Mr Mercieca’s mind as he sets out on the long rocky journey of financial hurdles and rigid attitudes to achieve active ageing by 2020.

The reality is grim. The projections for 2035 predict that those over 75 will increase to 13.7 per cent from 6.8 per cent of the total population (to 57,100 persons from 28,500).

Not only is the population getting older, but fewer babies are being born – the percentage of children aged zero to 14 years are projected to decrease to 12.9 per cent of the total population from 15 per cent (to 53,600 children from 63,000). The working population will also dip to 62.4 per cent from 68.7 cent in 2035 (to 259,400 workers from 288,500).

“We really need to get our act together as soon as possible. We’re already too late,” Mr Mercieca says, acknowledging the gargantuan task ahead, but refusing to be disheartened.

“We need to be ready for what’s in store and create the scenario where the elderly can continue working in the formal labour market, taking part in society and living independently,” he adds.

Creating a National Strategic Policy for Active Ageing landed on Mr Mercieca’s plate as soon as he took office eight months ago, as the EU was breathing down Malta’s neck for this policy.

To his dismay, the only report he found to work on from the previous administration was “not forward-looking enough”, focusing more on a retrospective analysis without tackling the concept of active ageing.

Ageing is a pressing issue worldwide with one in nine people in the world aged 60 years and over and Malta is no exception.

So he roped in Marvin Formosa, a senior lecturer at the European Centre for Gerontology, to chair the National Commission for Active Ageing and, following extensive consultation with stakeholders and the public, the policy will be officially released tomorrow.

Dr Formosa is confident that by endorsing this policy the government is resolved to “drop the long-standing tradition of delivering simply rhetoric and lip-service towards the need to incentivise optimal levels of active ageing to concrete action”.

The policy, he points out, puts the onus on the government to deliver.

“It is the beginning rather the end of the journey towards improved levels of positive, successful and productive ageing in Malta. The real work has yet to begin,” he says.

Despite the challenges, Dr Formosa, like Mr Mercieca, is positive the government, in partnership with civil society, will be successful in meeting most of the targets even before the target year of 2020.

The report boldly emphasises that success is only attained if there is serious commitment and perseverance on behalf of stakeholders, coupled with an investment in financial and human resources; something Dr Formosa is confident will be achieved following the positive outcome of initial consultations.

The government is committed to deploy all the necessary resources at its disposal – Mr Mercieca believes he has the Finance Minister’s ear – but without society’s input the task will be made harder.

Mr Mercieca says the policy is premised to three key values. The first is to ensure Malta is transformed into a “society for all ages”, one that adjusts its structures and functioning, as well as its policies and plans, to the needs and capabilities of all, to release the potential of everyone.

It is a big task but we have to start from somewhere and this is the first step to actually achieve an active ageing society

The second is the value of “intergenerational equity” – a truly democratic society that champions respect, equivalent opportunities, and comparable living standards between different generations.

And thirdly, empowerment – public policies on ageing must revolve around the needs and wishes of the older population, where older people have greater control over identifying the type of support they require, have more choice and influence over the services on offer.

“If you take a holistic look at the policy you will find that the recommendations are warranted for a healthy and active ageing society. One builds on the other, to the extent that you cannot achieve one goal in isolation from other policies,” Dr Formosa says.

“As commission chairman, I have stressed from day one that a sustainable ‘aged’ society will not be achieved solely by economic policies, and that one must never underestimate the values that underpin a ‘fair’ and ‘just’ society when enacting such visions,” he adds.

Realistically, Mr Mercieca believes that from early next year work can start on implementing the policy. The first step is setting up an inter-ministerial committee to steer the execution of the strategy’s recommendations and ensure targets are reached.

Although all parts of the policy are central to improving Malta’s standing as far as active ageing is concerned, Dr Formosa understands the importance of prioritising.

In the short term, he feels it is important for Malta to improve the number of older and ageing workers, especially women, in the labour market.

Ageing populations mean older workers will play an important part in delivering future economic growth, so he feels policies discouraging early exit from the labour market must be urgently legislated.

In the long term, Dr Formosa sets his sights on establishing services that help the lives of those with dementia, and their carers – the number of dementia sufferers in Malta is estimated to rise to 14,000 from the current 5,200 over the next 25 years.

Mr Mercieca too acknowledges that reforms to keep the older generation in the labour market are a priority.

Asked if employers are on board, Mr Mercieca admits that as things stand they are not as receptive as he would like them to be, which makes the shift in attitudes all the more important.

The overall employment rate of older people in Malta increased by just 3.4 percentage points between 2002 and 2012 compared to 10.7 for EU member states.

At 33.6 per cent Malta’s employment rate of older workers was considerably lower than the EU’s average of 48.9 per cent.

“We need to give employers tax incentives to employ a retired person. We need to work in this direction. True it costs money, but if you keep on working you’re contributing to the community and in turn are less dependent on social services.

“It is a big task but we have to start from somewhere and this is the first step to actually achieve an active ageing society,” Mr Mercieca stresses.

Malta has been slow in implementing pension reform and Brussels keeps drawing attention to this issue as it will have repercussions on the long-term sustainability of public pensions.

With retirement age set at 65 and pensions’ sustainability precarious, the risk of throwing elderly towards the poverty line is very real.

We really need to get our act together as soon as possible. We’re already too late

Primarily, a policy that seeks to reduce the rates of an early exit from the labour market works to alleviate poverty by providing more income and higher pensions.

Dr Formosa acknowledges it is impossible to ignore that this option is not available to everyone, be it for health reasons or due to shortages of skills.

To this effect, the policy calls on the government to put in place systems that provide adequate incomes in later life to preserve the financial autonomy of older people, enabling them to live in dignity.

Asked if there should be a mandatory retirement age for all, Dr Formosa concedes this is a tough nut to crack.

“For some workers, mandatory retirement and the consequent receipt of a pension is a happy prospect. Others approach mandatory retirement with trepidation, knowing it will increase their prospects to experience social exclusion,” he says.

“It is impossible to be either totally in favour or against mandatory retirement as both positions have far-reaching effects on nations’ economic balances.

“My take on this issue is that the ‘right to retire’ is one of the earliest welfare rights citizens have fought for and were able to gain, and should be upheld.”

Nevertheless, he adds, there is scope in promoting a more flexible approach towards retirement by creating partial retirement options and enabling additional contributions to obtaining enhanced pensions.

The policy also recommends adjusting tax systems to ensure these facilitate employment.

“However, I have to emphasise that the real issue facing us today is not whether the State should uphold or dispense with mandatory retirement, but the urgent need to raise the employment rate for citizens aged 55-64.

“Undermining our efforts to reach such a goal, while shifting all our energies in dismantling mandatory retirement, is tantamount to putting the cart before the horse.”

Whatever is decided about these changes have to start taking place now.

What are the repercussions if this policy is postponed?

“Very simple – our elderly population will not be employed so there will be fewer people contributing to the economy, they’ll be more of a burden and it’ll be an economic problem for Malta. We really need to get our act together as soon as possible. We’re already too late,” Mr Mercieca says.

Policy recommendations

• Inspire work organisations to implement working hours, as well as physical and mental work environments, which correspond to the needs of employees of all different ages.

• Promote awareness on ageism and age discrimination.

• Encourage the right to request to continue working beyond statutory retirement age and to a duty on behalf of employers to respond to this.

• Initiate financial incentives for employers to keep older workers employed.

• Conduct a public campaign highlighting how older workers generally make excellent mentors and role models to younger employees.

• Ensure a safe, adequate and sustainable income for older people to safeguard against poverty and material deprivation.

• Maintain the equitable value of retirement pensions, with adjustments made in line with movements in the costof living.

• Assist a smooth work-to-retirement transition.

• Develop national programmes to involve older people as volunteers, especially targeting those at risk of social exclusion.

• Manage an online platform that matches retirees with volunteer opportunities.

• Improve learning opportunities in long-term care.

• Support a digital inclusion programme to ensure that later in life people will have the ability to engage with computers and the internet.

• Dedicate efforts to achieve a seamless, reliable and affordable public transport to facilitate the social participation of the elderly.

• Target accidents through the creation of a falls prevention programme. The average age at death from falls in Malta was 73.3 for males and 78.3 for females in 2010, according to the National Mortality Registry.

• Integrate acute geriatric care and rehabilitation within the acute public hospital system to address older people’s complex needs.

• Strengthen the geriatric mental health services.

• Adopt a national dementia strategy.

• Promote older people’s autonomy in their decision to enter a long-term care facility.

• Develop and implement policies in healthcare facilities concerning end-of-life matters, including, but not restricted to, artificial feeding and resuscitation.