PN proposes residential home for the elderly in Floriana

The Nationalist party has proposed a project that would see a new residence and day centre for the elderly opening in Floriana.

Deputy PN leader Marco de Marco made the announcement this morning. A 56-bed residential home and day centre will occupy the building currently used by the examinations department, which would be relocated to the ministry of education.

De Marco said that such a facility would meet the needs of the residents of Floriana, which has a population of about 2,000, half of whom are over 55. The average age of a Floriana resident is 57 while only about 60 people are between 16 and 18.

“The locality is dying slowly,” de Marco said, noting that its population had decreased over the years from about 6,000 residents to its current size.

“Day centres have proven to be a success in other localities and Floriana should benefit from that service too.” A day centre and residential home would also serve to keep residents within their community – a problem that often arises when the elderly must leave familiar people and surroundings in order to move into a care facility.

The proposed project would be a private-public partnership between the government and foreign investors.

“This project is proof of the continued work the Nationalist party is doing for the elderly community,” de Marco said. “We call on the government to support this proposal.”

On cooperation between the government and the Opposition, de Marco said that throughout the local council election campaign, the Labour party had focused on attacking the Opposition.

“The PN is proposing concrete projects aimed at making a difference in people’s lives,” he said. “Local councils should not just be about organizing activities and keeping the streets clean – they should take a look at the problems residents face and try to address them. This is Floriana’s big challenge.”