The parliamentary secretariat for the elderly and community care replied yesterday to recent criticism by the opposition and said that it was always PN governments that had pushed for reforms to improve the quality of life of elderly people.
In a statement, the parliamentary secretariat listed a number of initiatives, including the investment of millions of liri to build new blocks at St Vincent De Paul and to refurbish existing ones.
In addition, hundreds of thousands of liri had been spent installing air conditioning units at the residence, and a geriatrics hospital had been opened in the place of Zammit Clapp.
Other measures included the opening of an activity centre for dementia sufferers as well as the opening of numerous homes for the elderly, one of which is currently under construction in Mellieha.
The secretariat also recalled that day centres had been opened and that a large number of services had been set up including telecare, handyman, meals on wheels, home help, CommCare, subsidies on nappies and telephone bills and finally, the senior citizen card.
In addition, other entities offered services, including sheltered housing by the Housing Authority, home improvements and lift installation. The government, said the secretariat, was also looking to the future and has reformed the pension scheme in order to ensure sustainable pensions in the future.
The secretariat also said that claims that patients had died at St Vincent de Paul as a result of the warm weather were untrue, as proven by certificates released by doctors on the cause of death.
In addition, the secretariat hit out at claims by the opposition that many portable air conditioning units had broken down. “Only two out of 25 units broke down and these were changed the next day. It is amazing how people can omit parts of information for their own gain,” said the
secretariat.
In a parting shot, the secretariat quoted from the MLP’s proposal Dignity and Comfort for the Elderly, which states: “Many of the initiatives in this plan involve coordination of existing services”.
The secretariat said that this proves that the MLP was not proposing anything new, but intended merely to co-ordinate the services that are all down to the work of PN governments.