OPENING SPEECH BY THE HON. ANTOINE MIFSUD BONNICI, PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY IN THE MINISTRY FOR SOCIAL POLICY, AT THE INTERNATIONAL SHORT-TERM TRAINING COURSE IN SOCIAL GERONTOLOGY

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Fellow Colleagues,

Good Morning. It is indeed my pleasure as Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry for Social Policy to welcome you on behalf of the Government of Malta to this International Short-term Training Course in Social Gerontology organized by the International Institute on Ageing (INIA). My welcome extends to all the 24 participants coming from 15 different countries, including Malta. I feel certain that all the participants in this course will surely benefit form the cross-fertilization of ideas that, judging from past experience, takes place during such courses.

The decline in fertility levels, reinforced by continued decline in mortality levels, is producing fundamental changes in the age structure of the population of most societies, most notably record increases in the population and number of elderly persons, including a growing number of very elderly persons. The steady increase of older age groups in national populations, both in absolute numbers and in relation to the working-age population, has significant implications for a majority of countries, particularly with regard to the future viability of existing formal and informal modalities for assistance to elderly people. The economic and social impact of this "Ageing of populations" is both an opportunity and a challenge to all societies. Many countries are currently re-examining their policies in the light of the principle that elderly people constitute a value and important component of a society's human resources. They are also seeking to identify how best to assist elderly people with long term support needs.

Until now the study of old age has produced a large body of facts and figures. To be sure, such work is necessary and useful in shaping public policy designed to help the old. But what is largely missing in this work is an interpretation of the facts infused with the sociological imagination and human compassion.

Unfortunately there are many people who deny or floss over the useless and meaningless lives of many older people in our affluent society. Some observers have even rationalised the isolation of the old in modern society by arguing that "disengagement" is a normal and inevitable accompaniment of ageing. No doubt there are people vegitating in institutions or in their own homes. But most evidence does not support the disengagement theory. For, as a rule, if they have any option, older people prefer significant social roles in which they are able to feel that they are as they were, that there is a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives.

While older people in modern society, particularly those with adequate economic resources, have a freedom and personal discretion not available in more traditional societies, their freedom is a mixed blessing. As Erich Fromm so cogently points out, there is a critical break between "freedom from" and the existential dilemma of "freedom for what?" Without cultural guidelines, the freedom to chose is a burden not an opportunity. This kind of cultural ambiguity helps explain why old age cannot be viewed merely as an economic, physical or psychological problem, or even a combination of these, but must be understood as an existential problem for the older person and as a social problem for the larger society.

Against this sociological background, my Secretariat in the Ministry for Social Policy in all it has done in the field of the elderly since its very inception in 1987, has always looked upon the elderly person as that man or woman who has given a life time service to his county through work or through family rearing. Therefore society, is duty bound to treat the elderly with respect, generosity and dignity whilst providing the necessary services or care to guarantee the quality of life of the older person.

The assertion that people are happier to remain in their own environment was, and still is, the guiding principle which determined the planning of all those policies that have been formulated and implemented by this Secretariat since its constitution. The care of the elderly in the community has become the accepted perspective of present health and social policy in Malta. Older people in Malta are experiencing a steady improvement in the quality of life not only materially, but also equally important from the social, cultural, educational and recreational aspects.

Guided by the awareness that the family environment is the one best suited to the lifestyle of the older person and at the same time recognising the fact that the family's traditional role of care-giver to the elderly members is being subjected to

various economic, social and psychological strains, public and private policies and programs must be formulated and implemented to supplement family support to the growing elderly population so as to enable them to remain within the desirable environment of their own family and community for as long as possible. This is in line with the recommendations adopted by the World Assembly on Ageing in 1982 which recommended that " appropriate support from the wider community available when and where there it is needed, can make a crucial difference to the willingness and ability of families to continue to care for elderly relatives. Planning and provision of services should take full account of the needs of those carers."

Times have changed. The family structure has changed as well. We no longer speak of extended families, where parents, grandparents, children and assorted dogs, cats and other livestock live under one roof. It has been replaced by the nuclear family which automatically excludes its elders and the roles they had in the traditional type of family. Given the choice, ageing parents generally prefer to maintain a separate household rather to move in with their children. However, as we all know, many events occur in our life where we are forced to endure outcomes we wouldn't voluntarily choose. The question is: are children willing to take in with them their ageing parents despite the strains modern life has presented us with? There is no common law requiring children to do so. Nor are children ready to accept their parents through any form of physical coercion. Rather the force here derives from a socially recognised norm: one's duty to one's parents. The children should be indebted to their parents for the care they received when young and for the ‘ ultimate gift' of life itself. The sociologist Georg Simmel has written: "…. Once we have received something good from another person, once he has preceded us with his action, we no longer can make up for it completely, no matter how much our return gift or service may objectively or legally surpass his own. The reason is that his gift, because it was the first, has a voluntary character which no return gift can have…."

Experience has shown that no matter how much we improve our community services in certain cases the institutionalisation of the elderly person is inevitable. Truly, institutionalisation marks a life crisis in the lives of the aged persons. When institutionalised, the older person is detached from the environment he or she is used to and placed into an entirely new setting. Hence, our role as policy-makers, administrators, geriatricians, gerontologists so on and so forth, is to do our very best to make the lives of the elderly residents not only bearable but also pleasant and comfortable.

One of the recommendations of the Vienna International Plan of Action clearly speaks of the right of the older persons to be able to utilize appropriate levels of institutional care providing protection, rehabilitation and social and mental stimulation in a humane and secure environment: they should be able to enjoy human rights and fundamental freedoms when residing in any shelter, care or treatment facility, including full respect for the dignity, beliefs, needs and privacy and for the right to make decisions about their care and the quality of their lives.

The community can adopt various measures to assist the elderly to take proper care of themselves or for very old persons to be taken care of by others. Community health workers from other sectors and non-governmental organisations should take special care to under-take these responsibilities. The elderly population can make significant contributions to community affairs if they are properly utilised. Also, the elderly population will feel wanted and have the opportunity to socialise with others. Both these benefits go a long way in overcoming depression and loneliness. In societies, where the elderly are made to feel they are burdens on the community, depression and even suicide have been known to ensue. These dangers are increased by the growing awareness that physical and perhaps even mental decline sets in with ageing. On the other hand, utilising those elderly who are in fit condition in community work (e.g. in child care centre, nurseries, primary schools) can be a great help in bringing these elderly into the mainstream of society. The elderly should be made to understand that the wisdom they have gained over the years, the achievements they have accomplished and the experiences they have assembled are permanent assets that can still benefit the community at large. In this context, Recommoderation 48 of the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing states: " Governments and international organisations should support programmes aimed at providing the elderly with easier physical access to cultural institutions (museums, theatres, opera houses, concert hall, cinema, etc.) in order to encourage their preater participation in leisure activities and the creative use of their time. Furthermore, cultural centres should be asked to organise for and with the elderly workshops in such fields as handicrafts, fine arts and music, where the elderly can play an active role both as audience and participants."

Elderly people have the same entitlement to human dignity as other members of society, and therefore to the same rights and duties; in particular, elderly people should retain their right to self-determination, and should exercise their choices appropriately, taking into account the different stages in their ageing. They should be able to live in society, wherever they are, free from fear of exploitation or of physical or mental abuse. They should be entitled to equal participation at all levels and in all fields, whether social, cultural or political.

Society should enable elderly people, including those who live in institutions, to lead lives which are as autonomous as possible, taking into account their handicaps. Society owes it to itself to recognise the past and present active role and contribution of elderly people. Society has a responsibility to help create areas of participation, to prepare the conditions for self-help groups and thus contribute positively to prevent isolation. Society should increase or facilitate activities for elderly people, especially those who live in institutions, by providing opportunities for social, cultural and individual activities in a manner that secures self-determination and freedom of choice for the people concerned.

Maltese society has always been characterised by its strong family structure. Despite recurrent misgivings about the commitment of the family to care for its elderly members, it is generally accepted that most help continues to come from the family. In the past the State contemplated a system of care and physical comfort. Hardly any emphasis was put on how to "socialise" the growing population of older citizens who were no longer economically active.

Government and international organisations should support programmes aimed at providing the elderly with easier physical access to cultural institutions, in order to encourage their greater participation in leisure activities and creative use of time. Furthermore, cultural centres should be asked to organise for and with the elderly workshops in such fields as handicrafts, fine arts and music, where the elderly can play an active role both as audience and participants. Participants in the arts can enhance and contribute positively to people's lives, as a source of entertainment, recreation and educational activity, a vehicle for social change and as an important contributory factor in personal development and growth. Older people have a great deal of life experience to contribute to creative activities (as ‘cultural agents') and advisory groups. It is important to recognise older people as potential participants in the arts.

Active Ageing undoubtedly implies that older people have still important and valid contributions to offer to their society. An unprecedented number of elderly people still enjoy an active retirement, making an important contribution to economic, cultural and social life as customers, volunteers in their local community and providers of care and support within their families and neighbourhood. It is of utmost importance to take more account of the place and responsibilities of older people in our society. Their potential as producers, consumers and tax payers must be acknowledged positively as part of normal economic dynamism. In the family, at social, economic and cultural levels they should be encouraged to offer to their collectivity their full potential of experience, wisdom and skill. This is also important for the elderly people themselves as greater participation on their part in social and working life is likely to further their integration into social and professional life. The promotion of solidarity between generations is therefore one of the greatest challenges which we are facing.

Dear Colleagues, during these two weeks course you will be undergoing an intensive training programme that will underline the necessity of co-ordination between formal and informal support systems in the realisation of our prime objective, that is, add life to years not just years to life. You will be debating diverse topics amongst yourselves within the framework of the changes of the family structure, the social, economic, technological and scientific development, the higher increase of the expectancy of life, in developed and developing countries, creating the necessity to develop new methods and skills to overcome the demands of modern life. No doubt that during all your discussions you will give your utmost importance to the ‘elderly person', as a dignified human being, like all other citizens with his active participation and social integration. I wish you all very fruitful work and every success in your deliberations. I again extend my welcome and wish you all a pleasant stay in our island and enjoy our traditional hospitality.

Thank you.