Achieving benchmarks in elderly care

In order to strive for greater equality and tackle social issues, we need a strong economy. Labour’s basic thought and motivator has and will always be social justice. The very foundations of social and national solidarity services were pioneered by Labou

Notwithstanding the intentionally orchestrated hype on other issues, no amount of partisan slogans or distractions can deny the strong economy the country has built in the first years of Dr Muscat’s first term in office. It was clear from the outset that building a fair society and sustaining an effective social welfare system can rest only on the foundation of a healthy economy. The 2013 government knew well that only a strong economy can create higher asset values.

Four years on in real terms

Four years on, successful results keep coming in, whether through international credit ratings or by national measures. Statistical figures are supported by what the nation is producing and gaining in real terms in the different sectors. Results published this week show the lowest unemployment levels ever recorded, with a positive outlook on the national debt without any additional taxation. The rate of economic growth kept its steady pace year after year, putting Malta in top positions among member states. The latest come in the wake of a desperate partisan effort to create a perception of uncertainty or political unrest, meant only to destabilize the country’s economic strengths.

It was no surprise that faced with the country’s success on taking up its role of Presidency of the EU Council, the Opposition spared no effort to attempt tarnishing Labour’s success story on all counts. Nonetheless, such attempts have been swept aside petty issues in all formal meetings, with EU leaders reiterating their full respect of Malta’s successful performance in both the local and international levels.

Moreover, our positive records on social solidarity issues stand out and prove our government’s commitment to the most vulnerable in society. We believe in hard work but we do not expect to be perfect. We are constantly prepared to services are essential and crucial to support all those who opt to remain living in their own homes for as long as their level of independence allows them to.

Our professional team also assists informal carers, namely family members, through specific services delivered by CommCare. The long list of CommCare services has been revisited and revamped over the past three years with the increase of more allied health professionals to offer better care to our clients as well as more support to our informal carers.

New premises, enhanced commitment

Unveiling new premises for this work is not only a physical project but also transferring a fully committed team to operate even more professionally. Most of the time they will be directing their support services in coordination with relatives of our older clients. I would dare say that in this way a close bond is created between formal and informal carers, thus encouraging older persons to enjoy their later years in the community they have known for many decades.

It is common knowledge that, notwithstanding the increase in the number and quality of formal community services, both in the state and private sectors, a good part of the required care is provided by family and relatives, neighbours and friends of the elderly who have some level of dependency and need assistance. Such immediate care would include social responsibilities that cover health issues. There is a whole list that may vary – from administering medicines and physical support to keeping them company and organising recreational activities. At a glance, it may seem to be a normal family relationship, but in real terms, those kinds of responsibilities are more significant than they appear to be.

As in many other issues, we are not the only ones facing this challenge. Europe’s demographic changes are leading to a growing incidence of age-related diseases, a growing demand for care and a real sustainability challenge for our social and health care systems.

Formal and informal care

According to recent research, 80 per cent of care in Europe is provided by families and friends. The contribution of these informal carers clearly constitutes a great resource for our society, even if their role is not always sufficiently recognised. Indeed, the 2017 budget measures were aimed to target this issue, providing also for higher pensions and introducing the much needed respite services for carers.

In reality, these persons deliver a wide range of support services such as personal care, housekeeping, transportation, care and financial management as well as emotional support. They often offer the most comprehensive and desirable option for people in need of care. Our professional teams at CommCare will continue and increase their support to give assurance and comfort to older persons within their own community.

The Parliamentary Secretariat I lead ensures that the various services provided by the departments and other various entities within its remit, reach the desired and determined support required. While ensuring the best support within the community, we continuously endeavour to enhance and strengthen all that residential homes for elderly care are meant to be.

Enhancing our support

The long list of services provided by our CommCare teams both in Malta and Gozo include domiciliary nursing and caring, domiciliary physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry, geriatric and eventual medical services, social work, domiciliary respite, home help, carerat-home schemes, dementia intervention teams and meals on wheels. They will eventually also include Telecare and also incontinence, night shelters and handyman services. This is indeed the largest service provision on the national level with around 760,000 interventions at community level in 2016.

In the other sector of care for the elderly, new and on-going upgrades and refurbishment projects in various homes are a constant in our everyday work. This is supported by various other initiatives by way of both social and health-related measures. One such initiative was the setting up of the dementia helpline 1771, a 24/7 service run by professionally trained and qualified personnel who can give initial information related to care of older persons when the first symptoms of dementia appear.

We are fully aware that all this is never enough and we never intend sitting on our laurels. In fact we are actively exploring further possibilities of providing respite care in the family home itself along with the introduction of modules for innovative financial support for personal care at home. We have also re-visited the concept of carers’ pensions and the criteria thereof, as already shown in the 2017 budget measures.

In the coming months, while we remain fully focused on our own national commitments at domestic level, we strive to continue to set the best examples of human solidarity for our European colleagues. We have in fact put social inclusion as a major issue on the agenda of Malta’s presidency of the EU Council, pari passu with our own commitments on our own home ground.

We mean to promote the development of inclusive and client-centred care systems, which fully recognise the role of the family, the State and the whole community contributing together. This is effectively social solidarity at its best, and no amount of negative criticism will deter us from forging ahead with more solid layers for the fair society we want to build for our generation and for posterity.