Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1113313
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 MAY 2019 ELDERLY CARE S2 MENTAL well-being as we age was the chosen theme for the fourth edition of the CareMalta Forum held recently. As the leaders in care, CareMalta, through this platform brings to the ta- ble various subjects related to the el- derly which need to be discussed by stakeholders to take the necessary ac- tion with all those involved in the field. John Cachia, Commissioner for Men- tal Health kicked off the forum with an introductory speech where he stated that 'ageing is a reality we must take care of'. He also stressed the impor- tance of our care processes to be mental health and well-being friendly with two very important words, Respect & Dig- nity at the forefront of what we do. Clinical Chairman of Psychiatry An- ton Grech tackled Dementia, Depres- sion, Pseudodementia and Bereave- ment as well as the differences between mental illness in old persons as opposed to the young. Another speaker Stephanie D. Sant, CEO of the Richmond Foundation spoke about the need to support per- sons with mental health issues. She discussed the importance of deter- mining persons who are suffering with mental health issues in the first place and guiding them to speak to a profes- sional who can inform them about the services available in the community. However, she also spoke about the concern of gaps in the system which do not allow us to offer enough support or lack of services available. She also an- nounced that her foundation was col- laborating with Learning Works, a company within the Vassallo Group, to launch a course on mental health care in the coming months. The Dean of the faculty for social well-being at the University of Malta Prof. Andrew Azzopardi delivered the final speech where he spoke about the stigmas of mental health and the need to fight this stigma so individuals can get the treatment they need. He spoke about the need for more awareness about mental health. "I believe facilities should be avantgarde," he said. An open discussion followed the speeches where interesting points were raised and questions asked to the guest speakers present. In her closing speech CareMalta CEO, Natalie Briffa Farrugia expressed her willingness to foster further collabora- tion between all those involved in the sector in order to make a difference in people's lives and constantly improve on current systems and services. Mental well-being under the spotlight