Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1479276
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 SEPTEMBER 2022 SPONSORED CONTENT servizz g o v Il-ħajja ta' anzjan iġġib magħha diversi Il-ħajja ta' anzjan iġġib magħha diversi sfidi, ta' kuljum. Iżda jeżistu diversi servizzi sfidi, ta' kuljum. Iżda jeżistu diversi servizzi biex jagħmlulek ħajtek aktar faċli, u biex jagħmlulek ħajtek aktar faċli, u jagħtuk l-attenzjoni medika neċessarja. jagħtuk l-attenzjoni medika neċessarja. • • Ġerjatrija fil-komunità Ġerjatrija fil-komunità • • Podjatrija Podjatrija • • Fiżjoterapisti Fiżjoterapisti • • Domiciliary Nursing Domiciliary Nursing • • Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapists, fost oħrajn fost oħrajn ĊEMPEL FREEPHONE GĦAL AKTAR INFORMAZZJONI 153 Massimo Vella A society that values senior citizens reaps rewards across generations. The Public Service offers a number of ser- vices to the elderly, aimed to address daily challenges they face, providing them with the required support so that they remain valued and included in our community by helping them stay in charge of their own lives for as long as possible. To this end, the collaboration of servizz.gov and Active Ageing and Community Care (AACC) plays a pivotal role. Our mission is to continue enhancing this joint effort to ensure client-centred policies and support services, to the benefit of our elderly. In a sustained effort to transform Malta into an age-friendly nation, the collabo- ration between servizz.gov and AACC upholds the values of intergenerational equity and empowerment. Operating as a one-stop-shop, servizz.gov does not only address Active Ageing queries but also assists with services related to social security, tax, education, Jobsplus, and others. This means that if a senior citizen re- quires assistance on pension queries as well as on another service, servizz. gov is able to offer both services. Thus, servizz.gov facilitates several services under one roof so that the client does not need to contact different govern- ment departments. The services offered vary according to one's needs. Eligible senior citizens can benefit from the use of Active Ageing Centres, Night Shelters and Home Ad- missions. But there's a whole network of ser- vices that offer care at home so that the elderly may continue living in the community, such as domiciliary caring, domiciliary nursing, community geria- trician, podiatry, physiotherapy and oc- cupational therapy services, and even the service of meals on wheels deliv- ered to one's door. Schemes such as Home Help may as- sist the elderly in domestic work and the buying of daily needs, while oth- ers provide free maintenance services where the client only pays for the ma- terial required. Those interested should contact us to ascertain their eligibility. The assistance we offer at servizz. gov is found across several channels. One can use Freephone 153, email at servizz@gov.mt, the servizz.gov web- site at servizz.gov.mt, the Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as the 24 hubs spread in several localities around Malta. The use of assistance channels offered through servizz.gov has increased in popularity amongst our clients. Notably, from the beginning of 2022, a total of 7,163 cases were tackled and recorded on Freephone 153 alone. The top requested services varied from as- sistance with applications, Home Help, Carer at Home, to Home admission. Face-to-face assistance remained pop- ular, with 966 cases assisted in-person through the servizz.gov hubs, with the regional centres with the most regis- tered AACC queries being servizz.gov Paola (Local Council), servizz.gov Qormi and servizz.gov Zejtun. In the same period, servizz.gov assisted 84 cases through its email channel, primarily with applications, Home Help, and con- tinence services. Despite the natural inclination of old- er adults towards a face-to-face service such as that experienced in our regional hubs, we are conscious that digital ac- cess has become mainstream and thus we need to ensure that everyone is in- cluded to avoid social isolation among senior citizens as particularly evidenced during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Public Service has embarked on an ambitious modernising process, making use of more digital tools to de- liver greater results. We firmly believe that services are user-centred and de- signed across our diverse clients' needs through a cohort design. A good user experience requires pro- cess optimisation, uniformity and min- imum client touchpoints. In this respect, the Public Administra- tion has embarked upon two initiatives to adopt and promote inclusive Service Design Standards through the servizz. gov's Service Design Hub and in parallel to foster a Digitally Enabled and Confi- dent Nation. This is a clear sign to show our com- mitment in making Government's ser- vices as inclusive and accessible as pos- sible by accommodating a wide range of individual preferences and abilities, universal design principles and full stakeholder participation including the clients themselves. Indeed, in-person customer service may be the preferred option for older adults, but at the same time bridging the digital divide should no longer be seen as a threat but rather an opportu- nity to improve the lives of such cohort in our society. Massimo Vella is Chief Executive Officer of servizz.gov Supporting our senior citizens