Prime Minister Joseph Muscat this evening called for better regulation of homes for the elderly, stressing on the need to establish standards and regulations to ensure that residents are treated with dignity.

Dr Muscat made this appeal during the launch of the national strategic policy for active ageing, at Castille.

He said that residents in old people’s homes must be given a greater say in matters that affect them directly. “In this manner we will ensure that homes do not end up as parking lots for old people” said Dr Muscat.

The Prime Minister hailed this document as a very important step adding that this strategy aims to tackle active ageing in a holistic manner. He said that for this reason, the parliamentary secretariat for the elderly was not placed under the remit of the health ministry but is part of the social policy ministry.

Dr Muscat laid emphasis on the importance to combat age-related discrimination through better inter-generational collaboration.

In particular he referred to the tensions which might arise when those opting to remain in employment after retirement age, are perceived as obstructing job opportunities to young people. For this reason he said that job creation is crucial for this strategy to reach its objectives.

The strategy covers the seven-year period from 2014 to 2020 and is based on three main pillars - active participation in the labour market, participation in society and independent living.

The document warns that by 2035 the number of people over 65 year will almost double from 68,400 in the 2011 to 103,000. Though lauding the increased longevity which is a direct result of scientific advances and a better quality of life, the document warns that population ageing has significant and extensive repercussions on all aspects of public policy.

The strategy recommends financial incentives for employers to keep older workers employed, a more gradual process leading to retirement and supporting old people to make an educated decision on a long-term care facility.