Health Minister Louis Deguara gave details in Parliament yesterday as he replied to questions by Noel Farrugia and Joe Abela.

Mr Abela pointed out that MUMN has frequently criticised the amount of social cases at St Luke’s Hospital. Indeed they do, the minister replied, but they do not come up with suggestions.

There are no easy solutions. In the long term, government tries to get the elderly back to physical fitness through rehabilitation, at Zammit Clapp Hospital.

Secondly, government tries to develop partnerships with the private sector as has been done with Villa Messina at Rabat and Casa Serena at St Paul’s Bay. Government is trying to widen the amount of private-public partnerships and has called for applications by hotel owners to transform their properties into residences for the elderly.

Thirdly, government is enlarging St Vincent de Paule Residence and is also building a home for the elderly at Mellieha.

Mr Farrugia asked about the criteria for getting an elderly person admitted to the Mtarfa Home and Mr Abela asked why some people are taken in at St Vincent de Paule before others.

The minister replied that the main criteria that are used to choose between the elderly are social and medical rather than financial. The priority is given to elderly people without anyone at home, as those who have homes and people in them to get back to are considered as less urgent cases.

A social worker visits the applicants and draws up a report on the situation at the elderly person’s home.