A SOCIAL PULSE for our elderly

The allocation of funds exposes any government’s priorities. In Malta, approximately one third of the Government’s budget is assigned to social services and projects. Meanwhile the budget for elderly care has tripled in recent years.

With such substantial funds, the Parliamentary Secretariat for Persons with Disability and Active Ageing is investing wholeheartedly in the sector, delivering results that prove its commitment on improving long-term care and promoting active ageing for our elderly.

Ensuring that the elderly are

supported and that their environment is sustainable for them to enjoy a good quality of life is central to our work. Therefore, addressing their basic and social needs is sought after through the provision of more community and residential services for the elderly.

Our approach to elderly care is primarily concerned with community services. This goes handin-hand, with empowering individuals, be it elderly citizens or persons with disability, to enjoy an active lifestyle in their community.

Community services such as the Silver T project, which has been extended from three to 10 localities, have been received very well by the elderly population. In the six months that the service has been operating for, around 3,000 trips, bringing elderly closer to their local services to run their own errands, were made.

To further address the concerns of the elderly residing in the community and their families, mostly pertaining to security. More investment has been put in night shelter and respite services, so that the total number of beds available across Malta and Gozo, adds up to 37 and 39 respectively.

Recently, we have announced a new elderly residence in Birkirkara – which has been promised over and over by previous Governments – as well as the 500-bed project in St Vincent de Paul. Moreover, the longterm care facility catering for the increasing demands of dementia, as more wards are being designed in specific manners, improves the well-being of persons with dementia.

Educational and informative measures are also essential to reach out to the community. One upcoming initiative to strengthen society’s knowledge on dementia is Frammenti, a street drama, that exposes the reality of a family who has experienced dementia. Frammenti, which is being held on the 31st May in Mosta, the 6th June in Paola, and 13th July in Gozo, will be followed by a discussion between professionals in the field.

Further to this, we strongly believe in the importance of intergenerational dialogue. The Senior Passport is one positive example through which intergenerational dialogue, as well as knowledge on Malta’s history, can be enhanced. Throughout these past few weeks, our Prime Minister spoke immensely of the importance of enabling our families to spend more quality time with their loved ones.

More is being done to encourage older persons to remain active, whether through their continuous engagement in the labour market, participation in society and independent living. The life, in our 27 active ageing centres, across Malta and Gozo, activities held in residential homes as part of the initiative

Making Homes Fun, and the newly launched Silver Hub at St Vincent de Paul, is evidence of the elderlies’ eagerness to continue contributing and participating in their community.

Obviously, we do not simply speak of political ideals, but transpose our beliefs, the proposals included in our electoral manifesto into actions that leave a positive impact on the well-being of Maltese society.

The social pulses of this Government have been clearly determined. It is through such prioritisation and the substantial surplus that our country has been enjoying, that the Parliamentary Sercetariat for Persons with Disability and Active Ageing is driven and empowered to strengthen the services to our older persons and persons with disability.