Elderly to gain home access to medical consultants through new geriatrics programme

A new service will see homebound elderly people gain access to a medical consultant in their own homes.

The programme, launched this morning by parliamentary secretary for active ageing Justyne Caruana, is intended for those who are not able to easily get to Mater Dei Hospital.

The service is already available to those signed up for the government's community care programme, and new cases will be accepted from April.

Commcare, the government service that offers community-based care and which has some 30,000 signed up individuals, will be administering the programme.

"If you can't move you won't have to go to outpatients or the private sector," Caruana told a room full of enthusiastic elderly people at Paola's Active Ageing Centre. "Commcare will be coordinating it and we will be able to continue putting the patient at the centre of care."

Caruana also stressed that since the service is being launched on a national level, it will be available to all those over the age of 60, including those in Gozo.

The service will be provided by an "equivalent" of three full-time consultants.

Caruana also emphasised that the service is a continuation of the government's vision of putting community services at the core of work being done, adding that that the project was born out of recommendation made by the people on the ground administering community care.

Caruana said that while the service will be available to everyone, a basic assessment will have to be carried out to ensure the system is not abused.

Following the launch, Caruana was presented with a bouquet of flowers on behalf of those at the Active Ageing Centre.