Parliamentary Secretary Justyne Caruana today addressed the opening session of the 12-day International Training Programme in Health Promotion, Quality of Life and Wellbeing, a multi-disciplinary training programme designed by an international expert group. The programme aims to discuss the implications of population ageing and highlight the importance of including ageing issues in national development planning. 

Dr Caruana said that today she will present a motion in Parliament regarding the first reading of the Commissioner for Older Persons Bill in order to safeguard the rights and best interests of older persons.

She said that the Government has launched two major National Strategies - The Active Ageing Strategic Policy and the Dementia Strategy. These strategies are being complemented by other policy measures, such as the National Minimum Standards for Care Homes for Older People, training of all the staff on dementia in order to increase awareness, including staff at Gozo General Hospital and other initiatives including infrastructural ameliorations to enhance the quality of life of older persons.

The Parliamentary Secretary said that the secretariat she leads has been putting in place various programmes and services for the growing number of persons since it took office in March 2013. She mentioned that the Active Ageing Strategic Policy aspires to increase the number of older workers in the labour market, and include continouse participation of older persons in social, economical, cultural and civic affairs.