Despite having defamatory and false allegations directed at me over the past few days by an ill-intentioned individual, my work as Parliamentary Secretary for the Rights of Persons with Disability and Active Ageing remained as consistent as it has been ever since I was appointed to this post.
With a focus on innovative enterprises that address the needs of vulnerable people on a national level, the Parliamentary Secretariat is currently targeting Gozo, since there is no doubt as to the prodigious deficit of community services for the elderly and people with disabilities on our sister Island.
Indeed, it is well-known that Gozo was never a priority for the previous administration. In contrast, the Parliamentary Secretariat that I lead – as the entity responsible for safeguarding the citizenship rights of elderly citizens in Malta and Gozo – was instrumental in supplying more beds for residential care homes for elderly people in Gozo, through a public-private partnership agreement signed with a local private residence.
This service is reducing overcrowding at the Gozo General Hospital; a problem that has for long characterised the service delivered by the public health facility in Gozo. This Government is applying proactive policy measures that address the problem of long waiting lists for those elderly people requesting residential care in Gozo before the situation reaches crisis levels.
The same public-private partnership model was utilised to provide respite services in Gozo, at Villa San Lawrenz. As feedback from the elderly community illustrates, this service is crucial as it enables elderly people to avoid having to resort to long-term residential care services at the first instance.
At present, the government has a record number of beds available for respite care services throughout the Maltese Islands, and the Parliamentary Secretariat is nevertheless planning for growth in the provision of such services, so as to meet an ever-growing demand.
The idea behind last week’s renewal of the CommCare service was to put a stop to the unjust manner in which services for the elderly were being delivered throughout the Maltese Islands, with the elderly in Gozo having long been discriminated against when compared to their counterparts in Malta.
The success of such measures promoted an exploration of further prospects to extend the range of services provided by CommCare to all elderly persons in the Maltese Islands, irrespective of where they reside. As studies conducted by the University of Malta confirm, there is considerable demand for this service, which is especially beneficial to those elderly persons requiring nursing and caring services at home. Furthermore, this week I participated in the second session of the learning programme held at Ċentru Rgħaj it-Tajjeb in Victoria.
Additionally, a number of policy initiatives are planned for Gozo in the coming days. Firstly, the Secretariat is working on the establishment of a new Active Ageing Centre in Xewkija. Members will have the opportunity to participate in a holistic activity programme designed by experts in gerontology and geriatric care, working within the Active Ageing Unit, as found in most Day Centres in Malta and Gozo. This centre was made possible by means of an agreement signed with the Xewkija Local Council and Prekursur Philarmonic Society. Secondly, the Secretariat will open the third learning hub in San Lawrenz. Thirdly, I am pleased to note that the structural works on the premises in which the Night Shelter service will be provided, will be completed in a few days. Indeed, this is another first for elderly people in Gozo, who have never been offered such services in the past.
With regards to the overall work being done in the elderly sector, we have received a great deal of positive feedback. A report published by the UNECE clearly shows that Malta has advanced its ranking in the Active Ageing Index since the previous report was published. These reports are compiled by an independent body and clearly show that Malta is competing well in this sector when compared to the 28 European Union member countries.
In Parliament this week, we concluded the committee stage of the Persons with Disability Representation Bill. This bill was put forward by the government, as we believe that people with disability should have the opportunity to be part of decision making bodies and have an active and prominent role in decision making. The Parliamentary Secretariat truly believes in the potential of persons with disability and in the general society’s moral obligation to empower them to achieve this objective.
Next week, I will be forwarding another bill; The Maltese Sign Language Recognition Bill, which will recognise the Maltese Sign Language and promote its further development. There can be no doubt that this is another important milestone in the disability sector.
In view of the Government’s electoral pledge to provide 10 residences for people with disability within the community, we have signed an agreement for the Gozo Home for people with disability. At this stage, I can say that this home will cater for about 10 persons with disability, although we are exploring all possibilities to make use of parts of the residence for additional services. The work on the Gozo Home will commence immediately, with the month of October being set as a deadline for its completion.
I am aware that more needs to be done to elevate the quality of life of the elderly and people with disability to acceptable levels. I can assure you all that I will not be intimidated or hindered by individuals with hidden agendas spreading disparaging, unfounded fabrications.
Dr Caruana is the Parliamentary Secretary for the Rights of People with Disability and Active Ageing