Parliamentary Secretary for the Care of the Elderly meets San Gwann Local Council

The Parliamentary Secretary for the Care of the Elderly and the San Gwann Local Council have held discussions on the needs of the elderly. Dr Buhagiar said the Secretariat works closely with the Local Councils around the Island, adding that the needs of the elderly could be better assessed by the people living in the same environment.

The Local Council and the Secretariat discussed various items of relevance to the Elderly. The Local Council showed great interest in opening a Day Centre and a Home for the Elderly in the locality. Dr Buhagiar explained that the opening of a Day Centre is more factual in the near future. He suggested that the San Gwann Local Council should co-ordinate with the nearby localities, such as Swieqi and St Julians, to make a joint effort to try and open a Day Centre which eventually would cater for the elderly in all three localities.

They also discussed the introduction of a new service - the Night Warden. The Local Council encouraged the quick introduction of this essential service for the security of the elderly. Dr Buhagiar announced that preparations are well underway and the vehicle to be used for this service is going to arrive in Malta very soon. He said that this service is going to be introduced as a pilot project in the form of an extention to the Telecare system.

Dr Buhagiar praised the work of the Local Council and he looked forward to further co-operation particularly in the field of the care for the elderly.