The Parliamentary Secretariat I lead organised a successful seminar on Assistive Technologies for Independent Living last Friday. From humble beginnings in the late 1940s, when a few sheltered housing tenants in the United Kingdom had the facility to ring a bell in a warden's home if they needed help, today assistive technologies have revolutionised the delivery of health and social care to older people and people with disability, enabling them to live healthier, safer and more independent lives.
Like the rest of the world, Maltese society is facing the multi-dimensional consequences of an ageing population. Contemporary social and political agendas are peppered with issues such as older people's care, healthy ageing, and age-friendly housing among others. However, this government is also keen to address concerns about the most cost-effective ways to provide social and health care services. It is with such an emergent framework in mind that this seminar was organised.
The seminar and efforts are a first for the Maltese Islands, as no previous administration has invested time and energy to implement innovative and proactive forms of tele-health assistance. The government is not content to rest on its laurels and continues to support traditional forms of tele-health technology which becomes obsolete in a matter of years.
This was precisely why the government launched the Telecare Plus, which, as many of you are aware, offers valuable range of add-ons to the previous Telecare system, from pill dispensers to flood and gas detectors. The pendant can be upgraded to a 'smart pendant' which also acts as a fall detector, intruder alarm, and medication reminder. It is planned that this smart platform will be upgraded in the future to build up medical profiles of the person, who will be able to submit blood pressure, diabetes or even peak flow reports, which will trigger alerts to medical staff if they are outside the upper or lower limit for that particular patient. Recent figures show that in a matter of a few months, Telecare Plus had close to 2,000 new subscribers, most of whom were female and the majority were single persons living alone. This shows clearly that the Telecare Plus is being highly effective to enable Maltese citizens to 'age-in-place'.
I can assure you that Telecare Plus is only the beginning. The Parliamentary Secretariat for People with Disability and Active Ageing is committed to spearhead public-private partnerships that go beyond this widespread use of assistive technology. We will certainly aid private companies who seek to provide wearable technology devices. Many examples spring to mind; for example, sensors embedded in a vest that measure cardio-respiratory and motion signals, and even bracelets that monitor one's whereabouts.
I favour a type of politics that is proactive, imaginative, where the word 'impossible' should never be uttered. This arena should not be an exception. Yes, why not imagine the possible installation of a 'smart residence'? Think about it, homes equipped with technology that facilitates the monitoring of physical independence and health status. Guided by the government's vision, coupled with private investment, I am sure that both informal carers and people needing care will embrace novel technologies.
Knowing the number of participants who registered for the seminar plus the stakeholders who exhibited their work, including public agencies, the enablement of higher levels of independent living for older persons and people with disability can truly be a possible reality.
Dr Caruana is the Parliamentary Secretary for the Rights of People with Disability and Active Ageing