People who are aged 80 and over have gone through some of the hardest times in recent Maltese memory – it is only fitting to let them live out their twilight years in dignity.
These people were only young children when Malta was the repeated target of bombing campaigns in WWII. They endured hunger, hardship, terror and scenes, the like of which many of us have never had to deal with in our lives.
They survived and they then went on the rebuild Malta out of the rubble which was left strewn around the island. They built an economy and all the while, they retained the values which the Maltese people hold dear. In the past, we did not give older people the dignity they deserved. While many families took their elderly parents in to live with them in their twilight years, many others were put into old people’s homes.
It is no exaggeration to say that many wept when they were told that they would be taken to St Vincent de Paule.
No one can argue that the €9 million investment at St Vincent de Paul was a waste of money. While it is true that care for the elderly requires money, this publishing house is of the belief that every cent is well-spent and allows older people to live out their final years in a safe, bright and stimulating environment.
Is it all rosy? Of course not, that would be the most naïve statement to make – there are still many older people who do not get recourse to these new homes and they remain on the waiting list.
However, this is still progress. When we go back to the years that older people were terrified of being put into a home, we realise that much has changed. Older people now jump at the chance to be lodged at a state home for the elderly. Let us be completely honest. No one, no matter how old they are, or lonely they are, actually wants to move out of their home – which for many, has been the only home they have known. But being safe in the knowledge that they are well-cared for, old people no longer worry that they are simply being given a bed to die in. The statement might sound harsh – but if we go back a couple of decades, that was the overriding feeling – if you were sent to an old people’s home, you were basically being put there to die in a bed, alone and in dismal surroundings.
It could not be more different today. There are colour coded rooms, relaxation areas, bathroom en suites, activities, plants, gardens and the most important thing – stimulation.
Just because people are old, it does not mean that they all want to sit in a chair remembering memories from years gone by. They want to be active and they want to give a contribution to society. Some also want to continue learning – evidenced by the amount of pensioners who take up courses in basic IT. We simply cannot consign them to a nice ‘ward’ and let them eke out their last days.
Over the last few years, we have seen a good few homes for the elderly sprout up around Malta and take-up has been very good. It is clear that we do need more of these homes as there are a good number of older people who are on the waiting-list. It is our duty to try and provide as many places as we can – and not at the expense of quality and dignity. The Malta we have today is the fruit of these people’s blood, sweat and tears.