Elderly people at risk of social exclusion are finding comfort in fellow elderly Żebbuġ residents who drop by to check in on them, or help them out with their errands.

The initiative, launched in March by the Active Ageing Departmentand Caritas Malta, has seen 13 elderly volunteers hang out with another 14 elderly residents who are more vulnerable. The project will be replicated in other localities.

Cynthia Formosa, from the Active Ageing Department said this pilot project not only helped avoid people from falling victim to solitude, but also allowed others to remain active as they got older.

Research has shown that active ageing decreased the risk of chronic disease, she noted.

Caritas helped train the volunteers and supported them throughout the initiative, while archpriest Daniel Cardona helped them get in touch with the most vulnerable residents. Fr Cardona noted that the main message that was being passed on to the beneficiaries was that someone did care about them.

Social exclusion was a growing reality, according to Ann Rose Toledo from HelpAge Caritas Malta, especially with the continued advancement of technology and changing demographics.

Within this project, the volunteers acted as mediators between elderly people who were cut off from the increasingly fast-paced lifestyle and the outside world.

Addressing a press conference in Żebbuġ on Thursday, Parliamentary Secretary Anthony Agius Decelis noted that he had met very rich people who told him that being isolated from their own children and friends was what pained them the most.

One of the volunteers, 73-year-old Maria Pace, who keeps in touch with the beneficiaries over the phone, told Times of Malta that several of them had health issues.

Those with a past career in the healthcare sector found it even more difficult to deal with their ailing physical condition and felt that their relatives often did not understand them.

However, they found comfort in being able to voice their concern over the phone and Ms Pace made sure she did not miss her telephone appointments with them.

Another volunteer, 67-year-old Agnes Delia meanwhile noted that she draws inspiration from an 85-year-old woman whom she has befriended.

Despite her age, she is quite dependent, and insists on doing her own house chores and outdoor errands, she added.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.