Members of the new day centre for the elderly in Mellieha enthusiastically participated in fitness classes, among other activities organised to cater for their needs and hobbies.

Many laughed while they stretched and marched as television crews and journalists looked on but they will surely be enticing the more dependent residents at Dar il-Madonna Tal-Mellieha into some activity to keep them physically and mentally healthy.

Mellieha mayor Robert Cutajar said this was another special occasion for Mellieha. It was yet “another dream come true”.

The residence, which caters for elderly persons as well as some younger disabled persons, was a large hole just over two years ago. Despite some scepticism then, it is now a “living monument”, Mr Cutajar said. Continuous collaboration between the government and the local council was paying off and the €7 million building is now equipped with a health clinic where speech therapy is given to Mellieha children besides the residents at the home.

The local council alone invested €20,000 in the day centre, conceived as an “innovative project”, giving computer lessons and instructions on using mobile phones besides the fitness classes, craft lessons, cookery and more.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Community Care and the Elderly, Mario Galea, said this was the 17th day centre in Malta. Some 1,000 elderly people were participating in similar centres around the island, he said.

Mr Galea explained the importance of elderly persons to society, noting that a new block at St Vincent de Paul residence, with two wards specifically designed for dementia patients, was opened two weeks ago.

He announced that discussions were taking place with the local council to open the first respite centre for the elderly at the same Mellieha home. They were also working on the idea to open the second night shelter there, following the one that was recently completed in Zejtun.

Mr Galea recalled an instance during which a member of the Dingli Day Care Centre asked him to find someone who would go jogging with him so that he would continue practising his hobby.

‘We are no longer speaking of the third age,” he said, “but of the post-retirement age, when people are more fit and the fourth age, who are more dependent and would need care in homes or hospitals.”

Physical activity delays ageing and prevents people from becoming dependent on others, he added. Meanwhile, keeping the mind active reduces chances of developing dementia, according to studies.

He also congratulated the newly appointed deputy speaker of parliament, Censu Galea who was present for the opening.

Mario Gouder, a football coach and fitness instructor with the Malta Sports Council, said the plan is to hold twice weekly, three-hour sessions at Dar il-Modonna tal-Mellieha. Soft movement aerobics, static stretching, as well as strength and balance exercises, including yoga and pilates, will be carried out. Exercises that can be done at home will be shown. He explained that exercises will be modelled around the individual needs of members but were to help build and tone muscles. This prevents fractures which may be fatal in elderly persons.

Toni Saliba, 72, was one of the participants in yesterday’s fitness class. Appearing very slim and quite fit, Mr Saliba said he has been a volunteer with the Civil Protection Department for five years and a match box collectionist for 40 years. Despite this, he admitted not exercising much and was planning to start using gym equipment at the day centre.

Today, Mr Saliba will also be participating in a clean-up activity organised by the local council and another activity bringing two weeks of national events for elderly people to a close, at Gnien il-Qieghan, by the same home.