Minister for Senior Citizens and Active Ageing Michael Farrugia was presented with Commissioner for Older Persons Dr Mary Vella’s 2020 Annual Report.
Minister Michael Farrugia said that the lessons learnt during this period have contributed to the publication, in the coming days, of a legal notice which will see the implementation of new social standards, regulating the operations of long-term homes for the elderly.
“Furthermore, new services have been introduced while we were also, during this time, committed to strengthening the quality of the existing services,” he added.
He said that during this year there was a commitment to vaccinate as many senior citizens as possible. The minister thanked all those who contributed to the mass vaccination exercise, so that senior citizens who still live in the community, others who are housebound, and others who live in government, Church, private homes, and St Vincent de Paul, could receive the vaccination.
“We are working towards a better future for all our elderly, especially those with the condition of dementia”, Minister Farrugia added.
Commissioner for Older Persons Dr Mary Vella said that her role is primarily to promote the well-being of the elderly, so they can enjoy a better quality of life. She said that her commitment during 2020 was extraordinary, difficult, and unprecedented.
“Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, I continued to pursue my role of educating, promoting, and ensuring that the rights of senior citizens are safeguarded while setting benchmarks for departments and agencies. It is important that we continue to collaborate with all entities so that as a team, all efforts will be channelled in the best interest of our senior citizens,” the commissioner concluded.
Source: Office of the Prime Minister