International training programme on quality of life launched

Parliamentary Secretary for the Rights of Persons with Disability and Active Ageing Justyne Caruana addressed the opening ceremony of an international training programme about health promotion, quality of life and welfare earlier today. The programme will be spread out over twelve days and it is a multi-disciplinary programme run by an international group of experts.

The programme, which is being organized by the international institute of the elderly for the United Nations, Malta, aims to discuss the implications of an older population and it underlines the importance of including issues concerning the elderly in national development plans. The group of experts will also give meaning to the complex consequences of mass longevity.

“I will be presenting a motion in parliament about the first reading of the laws around the commissioners for the elderly. The laws will in fact safeguard the rights and best interests of the elderly,” Caruana said.

Caruana also pointed put that the government had launched two national strategies; one on active ageing and the other on dementia.

“These strategies are being complemented by political measures like the minimum national standards for elderly care homes, dementia specific training for all staff including at Gozo General hospital along with other improvements in the infrastructure of facilities to improve the quality of life of the elderly,” she added.

She explained that the secretariat was implementing various programmes and services for an ever growing number of people since March 2013.

“The Active Ageing policy aims to increase the number of older workers in the workforce and include the elderly’s continuous participation in the social, economic, cultural and civic sectors.”

Caruana also listed other initiatives like the launch of educational modules in ICT for people over 60 years of age and the conversion of day cnetres into lifelong learning hubs.