Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1195815
THIS month, we visited sev- eral residential homes for older people across various locali- ties and were struck with the presence of an issue which was more prevalent than anticipat- ed; the loneliness which some residents must battle on a day- to-day basis. We saw people waiting ex- pectantly by the door, hoping amid the Christmas festivities surrounding them that their relatives would pay them a visit with their families during the holidays. The Social Care Standards Authority praises the dedication that the man- agement and staff at these homes, put in, especially dur- ing this month, to fill some of the emptiness that these people experience. However, this dedication can never fully eclipse the longing felt by our elderly to see their families. The Social Care Standard Au- thority officially took over the licensing and monitoring of homes for older persons from the Health Care Standards Di- rectorate within the Depart- ment for Health Regulations earlier this year in January 2019. Under the Authority's regulations, not only do the service providers need to apply to get a licence by the Author- ity for every service they offer; they are also required to con- stantly adhere to the standards set, a practice which is ensured through constant inspections by the Authority on site. The Authority performed over 900 inspections across all social welfare services in Malta during the first ten months of 2019, several of which were instigated due to feedback re- ceived by the Authority. More than 360 inspections were car- ried out on services for older persons. We act where it is due because we believe that all members of society deserve the best quality in the services they require, particularly for vulner- able persons in our society for whom these services are vital in their day to day life. This is the attitude we want to instill to establish a value for money approach in our services. It is not only the ones provid- ing the service that we want to address, we also want to ad- dress the relatives of the people who are living in residential homes. The Authority strives to work with everyone, stake- holders and the public alike, to improve the life of vulnerable people in our society who make use of social welfare services. Due to this rise in loneliness in residential homes, we are planning to launch a campaign to create awareness on the loneliness experienced by this vulnerable group in our society, which we are kick-starting to- day with this article and advert. In this campaign, we would like to work closely with all the stakeholders involved, especial- ly the Commissioner for Older Persons, service providers and relatives of people in residential homes. At the Social Care Standards Authority, we believe firmly in the importance of communi- cating with everyone involved in the social welfare sector; peo- ple administering and provid- ing the services, professionals working within these services, people making use of them, and their relatives. Through com- munication we can ensure that the service providers' services are of the required quality and homogenous in their execution for all who make use of them. People can contact us through various channels. We get most of our feedback through phone calls on our number 25494345, but people can also contact us via email on feedback.scsa@ gov.mt or through our website on www.scsa.gov.mt. We are also present on all major social media platforms - Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - as @ scsamt. Our message today is two- fold; firstly, we want to encour- age people who have been im- pacted by any service to contact us. Whether you feel you have been wronged or want to sing the praises of someone (a car- er, social worker, manager, or someone else) who has helped you during a difficult period in your life, we want to listen to your message and make sure that it does not go unheard. Secondly, we want us all to remember the responsibilities that we carry in this fast-mov- ing world of ours. We cannot leave behind the ones that raised us, that gave the best years of their lives for us and our families. We cannot forget our parents and grandparents; their eyes are glued to that door, waiting, and praying, for us to walk through. S4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 22 DECEMBER 2019 ELDERLY CARE See you on Christmas! www.scsa.gov.mt | @scsamt Your loved ones living in a residential home are waiting for you. I can't wait to see my children and grandchildren! Don't be late! Let us spend the season together Matthew Vella Chief Executive Officer Social Care Standards Authority