At the end of the two years of this legislature, a Cabinet was set up with the people, this time with the elderly, in the San Vincenz de Paul residence. During the meeting the Prime Minister Robert Abela announced a pilot project through which the elderly will receive more immediate intermediate care in this same residence.
In the presence of many elderly people from different walks of life, the Prime Minister explained that this service will be changing the way care is given to the elderly as we know it today. He said that with the pilot project, instead of an elderly person going to the Emergency Department at Mater Dei Hospital, he will start going to San Vincenz de Paul and after being treated he will return to the community or to the old people’s home that he is living in it.
This pilot project will start in collaboration with two old people’s homes and after analyzing the results it will also spread to those old people who live in the heart of the community. “This is another example of specialized care and assistance. The Government is committed to keep reaching ever higher levels in the field of the elderly, not only in the provision of services but also in the quality of life and the dignified way that the elderly should live in our country,” stressed Dr. Abela.
The Prime Minister referred to the projects already carried out in San Vincenz de Paul, including the investments in medical equipment, the modernization of several halls as well as the garden for the elderly with dementia. This is in addition to other investments being made in the old people’s homes including the completion of the Floriana home and the issuing of the tender for the old people’s home in Bormla. “We want to continue to offer a quality service with the highest standards so that the elderly can enjoy a good quality of life,” stressed the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister said that for the elderly to live a comfortable life they need to have peace of mind. Here he recalled how the Government continued to subsidize energy prices, offered stability in the prices of essential products, included more medicines on the Government formulary, increased pensions and introduced an additional mechanism against the high cost life. This while not introducing any new taxes.
During this meeting a number of elderly people spoke about their experiences and with the members of the Cabinet they discussed the quality of life, their participation in the world of work and their involvement in the community.
Photo: DOI/OPM
