It is of great concern to us at the Secretariat for the Rights of People with Disability and Active Ageing that elderly people living alone in the community are facing harsh times and there have been some unfortunate instances that have been featured in the local media. Although these events are beyond our control, we are nevertheless extremely concerned. One of the main objectives of this Parliamentary Secretariat is to strengthen community services because we are aware that the majority of older people want to remain in the community with which they are familiar.

Although long-term care facilities are very important, and we are continuously striving to increase and improve them, we believe that community-based services are pivotal. The Secretariat has been working on a variety of fronts to ensure a good quality of life for the older members of the community. For instance, we are working hard so that Telecare Plus will not remain the government's only flagship as far as assistive technology services are concerned, and we are sure that, before the end of this legislature, the Maltese market will include additional items of equipment that maintain or improve the functional capabilities of individuals and the independence of people with cognitive, physical or interaction difficulties.

To this effect, the Secretariat will shortly be holding a seminar on assistive technologies that will also serve to showcase the various assistive technologies that are already available. Improving the range of assistive technologies will enable us to reach higher rates of productivity amongst those aged 50-plus who at present tend to include the majority of informal carers.

This government inherited a situation where the waiting lists for community services were never-ending, sometimes even higher than the actual number of people already receiving the service, such as was the case with Meals-on-Wheels, and where the quality of care being provided was lower than the benchmark older people deserve. Following a great deal of hard work on the part of the Department's staff, I am pleased to note that recent months have seen a considerable improvement in the way community services for older citizens are organised and delivered, as can be witnessed by the fall in the number of complaints received by customer care officers.

Respite services are now offered on a national basis. In October, the government invested in a public/Church partnership by means of which we increased the respite capacity three-fold and are now offering 21 beds for respite use. In Gozo we launched the service last week with two beds in a private home, Villa San Lawrenz, with applications already being processed. Also in Gozo last week we launched the first private/public partnership for long-term care to begin addressing the demand for such care in Gozo.

At the moment, we are also working on two other projects to provide night shelter - one in Malt and the other in Gozo - with the latter scheduled to begin operating in a few weeks' time. The Birgu Active Ageing Centre will be opened in the first half of this year and we are also exploring other areas to open more learning hubs in the community.

I always emphasise that, as the Parliamentary Secretariat responsible for the elderly sector, we will continue to upgrade the services provided for our older residents - this is our mission. Nevertheless, this does not mean that government services are a substitute for the obligation that family members have to take care of their elderly relatives. It is not only a moral duty to respect and care for our elders, but there is also a legal duty involved and the Secretariat is currently exploring various avenues to ensure that this legal obligation is adhered to.

 

Dr Caruana is the Parliamentary Secretary for the Rights of People with Disability and Active Ageing