A new authority might soon be able to turn up unannounced at old people’s homes and hand down daily fines if the premises do not adhere to national care standards.

This is one of the several proposals in a Bill drawn up by the Parliamentary Secretariat for Active Ageing, which is being launched for public consultation.

When asked about a cut-off date for the consultation, Parliamentary Secretary Justyne Caruana expressed hope that the proposals would be tabled in Parliament when it reopens after summer recess in October.

The national minimum standards for care homes were published in September of last year, but they cannot be implemented because there is no legislation yet.

The fresh proposals will see an autonomous authority that will have the right to monitor all old people’s homes, including those run by the private sector.

At the moment, the secretariat’s own audit team can only monitor homes owned by the public sector, or premises hosting beds rented by the government.

Irregularities will be slapped with hefty fines, ranging from €5,000 to €10,000, while daily fines between €500 and €3,500 will be handed down if breaches persist.

Marvin Formosa, senior gerontology lecturer, noted that homes for the elderly first opened in the late 1970s. Nowadays, four per cent of the 105,000 people aged 65 and over reside in such houses.

He said that while the provision of service was important, there should be some form of accountability and legal framework within which these standards can be implemented.

The proposals will be uploaded on www.activeageing.gov.mt and readers can email their proposals on activeageing@gov.mt