Last Wednesday, the Żejtun local council organised the last session of an initiative it launched some time ago to encourage members of the younger generation to “adopt” elderly people. The idea received the support of the parliamentary secretariat for the elderly.

The project gave the opportunity to young participants to interact with the residents at the Żejtun Home for the Elderly. It was a win-win situation for both generations – the younger ones did a kind of voluntary work that helped them understand the concept of solidarity, while the elder residents were happy to exchange ideas and share their experience.

It is an initiative that should be taken up by other local councils, and perhaps it should even be considered on a national level. Too often, elderly people are abandoned to their own fate. Yes, they are given excellent nursing care and all the treatment they need to lead a comfortable life, but at the same time they should be made to feel that they are still part of the community, and that they can still contribute towards its well-being.

This is more so in the case of people whose family has unfortunately abandoned them, both if they are still living in their own home and also if they are staying in a home. Elderly people often feel alone and lonely, and it does not take much for younger people to give part of their free time to be near them.

“Studies reveal that old people are happier and more serene in contrast with younger generations who suffer from conditions like depression. This may sound strange but research studies show that getting old is not equivalent to a miserable phase of life.”

The parliamentary secretary for the elderly, Mario Galea, is correct when he says this. But a greater emphasis should be made to make the younger people understand that they have a responsibility towards the older generations. What we have today, the lifestyle we enjoy today, is only possible because our grandfathers and fathers worked hard in their own time, just as much as we must also work hard to leave a better place for future generations.

It is said that life is a cycle. The younger generations of today are the older generations of tomorrow, and we are sure that when they reach that stage in life, they would want to be assisted and helped, and that their experience should not be allowed to go astray.

Similarly, the older generations of today should be appreciated. And there is no better way of doing it than by showing them the respect they deserve, and give them a few minutes of our time.