Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1076517
11 OPINION IT is no secret that we live in a time where the elderly population has continued to grow, leaving us with the need to adapt to the changes that come with such an increase. It's projected that people over the age of 60 will make up 20% of our population in the near future, with the figure cur- rently being about half of that. It is widely recognised that the demographics of our so- cieties are changing. While a growing elderly population is the result of huge steps forward that we have experi- enced over the past decades, it is also an issue which needs to be addressed by local govern- ments. Changes in policy are needed in order to maintain healthy social and economic develop- ment. Over the past 15 months, I led an important proposal that sought to introduce new rights not only for parents, but also caregivers – a pro- posal that was agreed upon by both the European Parliament and Council last Thursday. By definition, caregivers and carers are the people who dedicate their time and often sacrifice other social or work commitments in order to care for elderly or sick relatives. Being a caregiver is no sim- ple task. Caring roles can be extremely demanding, both physically and mentally. I believe that more focus needs to be placed on the car- ers themselves and we must provide the necessary sup- port. Caring for an elderly relative is something practically every single family in Malta and in Europe has to deal with, and it is our responsibility to en- sure that proper measures are in place to aid these carers in their efforts. The Work-Life Balance di- rective that I have negotiated on behalf of the European Parliament after discussions with various stakeholders, locally and abroad, provides such a measure. The directive grants five days of annual leave to anyone who has to tend to any elderly or sick relatives under their care. But it also gives member states great flexibility in how this can be implemented. In Belgium for example each worker is provided with a year of paid carer's leave that can be taken over the course of a career. This is a system that makes sense. Constituents have often confided with me on the diffi- cult situation that arises when they need care for an aging parent for instance. Being able to use a number of months of such a leave that is paid by the State would pos- sibly be used only in a very particular phase of a worker's life and never again. This measure not only pro- vides peace of mind to both the caregiver and the person they are responsible for, but also provides alternative op- tions to the usual route. If people know that they have the flexibility to tend to family members in need, they may not have to resort to state aid care and elderly homes. Moreover, the cost of hous- ing the elderly in state homes is significant. If that money can be used to help families better organise the care of loved ones inter- nally it would certainly be a more desirable result, without being a burden on the state. This will yield positive re- sults in both the short and long term. In Malta, we have a tradition of family members caring for loved ones for as long as pos- sible. This is something that should be encouraged, how- ever these caregivers should be allowed to do so in return for compensation and with the comfort of knowing that their employment rights will be safeguarded during the pe- riod in which they are provid- ing care. This in turn also helps us strengthen our sense of family and community, which is an essential part of the work-life balance I kept at the centre of the directive that has been agreed upon. This directive is aimed at getting the ball rolling when it comes to policy regarding carers and caregiving, and I believe that we took a big step in the right direction. But how these minimum standards will be applied is very much up to the discre- tion of the member states. I wholeheartedly encourage the Maltese government to look at best practices in other member states before decid- ing on how to transpose the minimum standards that we have agreed upon in Brus- sels and to ensure that carer's leave is paid by the state and can be effectively used by those that need it. David Casa MEP is the European Parliament's lead negotiator on the Work Life Balance Directive and EPP Coordinator on Employment and Social Affairs David Casa Why legislating in favour of carers benefits everyone Caring for an elderly relative is something practically every single family in Malta and in Europe has to deal with, and it is our responsibility to ensure that proper measures are in place to aid these carers in their efforts maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 30 JANUARY 2019 David Casa is a serving Member of the European Parliament for the Nationalist Party maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 30 JANUARY 2019