A management board has been set up at St Vincent de Paul home for the elderly to steamline the management of the home and make it more efficient and sustainable.

The board was announced by Social Policy Minister Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca and the Parliamentary Secretary for the Elderly Franco Mercieca.

Ms Coleiro-Preca said this was the first link in a chain of reforms in the sector of the elderly.

St Vincent de Paul Home is a huge and varied operation with over 1,000 residents, she said, but its management boils down to just one man, the superintendent, Ronald Fiorentino, who is being retained.

The new board will help coordinate and set policies for various aspects ranging from medical care to accommodation services, catering and entertainment. The residents themselves will be invited to propose ideas.

It will also look into improving facilities and increasing the number of beds.

The idea, she said, was to maximise the use of resources while making the operation as efficient as possible. At present, she said, a bed at the home cost €85 a day, almost twice as much as in smaller homes.

The new board is chaired by Dr Philip Sciberras. The members are Dr Marcon Ali, Dr Josianne Cutajar, Dr Gunther Abela, Marvin Formosa, Gaetano Mercieca and Chris Grech.