Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/530451
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 21 JUNE 2015 News 19 TIM DIACONO AN NGO that represents elderly patients has issued a damning account of the undesirable living conditions in some old people's homes. "We have heard of cases where patients in the dementia section of a private home were made to stand in a line and were held from behind as the same spoon was used to scoop food into all of their mouths," a founder of the Foun- dation for Active Ageing, who chose to remain anonymous, told MaltaToday. "We know someone who has to bring her mother food because the food served at the pri- vate home is so dreadful. What about those poor residents who have no visitors?" The FXAM want the government to release details on the final draft of the upcoming National Mini- mum Standards for homes of the elderly. Originally drafted by the FXAM at the request of former social solidarity minister Marie- Louise Coleiro Preca, some of the proposals suggest that homes will have to employ professionals who speak English or Maltese, pro- vide residents with a varied pro- gramme of social activities, and ensure that meals are varied and drawn up by nutritionists. Crucially, they would require homes to sign a legally-binding contract with each of their resi- dents, detailing the home's re- sponsibilities and the fees payable by each. However, the parliamentary secretary for the elderly, Justyne Caruana, has said that the final Bill that will be presented in Par- liament will be an "optimised" version of the FXAM's propos- als. The FXAM fear that this is government-speak for a watered- down version of their proposals and have warned that their pro- posals were the "absolute mini- mum" of a national set of stand- ards. When questioned, Caruana refused to disclose preliminary details about the final national standards that will be adopted in the Bill, including whether the contract will make the final cut. As the only NGO in Malta that represents elderly patients, the FXAM have heard first-hand tales that have strengthened their re- solve to see standards, including a contract, implemented. In one case in a government home, the carers were making themselves toasted sandwiches, a resident asked to have one and a carer brought one to her. "However, a female carer then grabbed it and thrust it into the bin, proclaiming that it was not meal time for the residents," the FXAM founder said. "She main- tained that they would not be able to cope if all the residents asked for snacks – despite the fact that most of them are either on their last legs or unaware of their sur- roundings." In another case, an elderly pa- tient at a church home came down with a severe chest infection and had to wait two days before the doctor came to see her. When he did and prescribed her medica- tion, she had no one to buy them for her until a carer agreed to buy them after work and bring them over in his next morning shift. "She is still unwell and after two weeks the home have now decid- ed to send her for an X-Ray at the polyclinic," the founder said. "In the meantime, she has been fed broth daily because she cannot eat solid food. Often it is plonked on her bedside table when she is asleep so when she awakens she does not take it because it is stone cold." "Why do people talk about the elderly as though they are aliens and are oblivious of the fact that the deprived circumstances in which many old people find them- selves may also be the ones they too will have to endure when they grow older," the FXAM founder questioned. "Why is empathy totally lacking? Apart from my FXAM colleagues, I have never heard anyone say 'poor guys – I would hate to have to live in a residential home'. "Instead, what I hear is a lacka- daisical 'isn't it the same every- where?'. No, it isn't and the piti- ful circumstances in which many of our senior citizens are made to suffer should not be allowed to happen in our 'Christian' coun- try." tdiacono@mediatoday.com.mt MARTINA BORG There were some 400 reported cases of abuse of the elderly be- tween 2013 and 2014, including reports of bodily harm, domestic violence, and theft according to Police Inspector Sylvana Briffa. Speaking to MaltaToday on the occasion of elderly abuse awareness day on Monday, Brif- fa said the abuse took on many forms, the most common being physical, but also psychological, sexual and even financial abuse. Physical abuse consists not just of violent action or brutal- ity causing harm or physical pain, but also hitting, slapping or pushing, or even misuse of medication. "Psychological abuse includes emotional, mental, verbal abuse, abusive language, manipulation, bullying, threats, humiliation or isolation among others, whereas sexual abuse was defined as non- consensual physical contact such as unwanted touching or kissing," Briffa said. An often overlooked, but still very pronounced form of abuse is financial or material abuse which includes the use of money or goods without consent and to the disadvantage of an older person, including theft of money or goods, pressure in connection with wills and inheritance, as well as an abusive utilisation of the power of attorney. This kind of violence was in fact highlighted during a public consultation led by parliamen- tary secretary for the elderly Justyne Caruana, who said many of the country's elderly went through some form of financial abuse, especially when it comes to selling their property. "This government is not happy to simply bring a higher degree of awareness about the poten- tial risk of frail, elderly people of experiencing abusive rela- tionships, but it is committed to establish legislative structures that address such situations," Caruana said, referring to a new law which came into force last year precisely on the protection of elderly people. "New forms of deterrent meas- ures have been incorporated in the Criminal Code, introduc- ing harsher penalties for crimes committed against older per- sons," she said. For the first time in Maltese legal history, the legal amend- ments make perpetrators of maltreatment towards older people liable for damages upon sentencing. Inspector Briffa said that the abuse of the elderly tends to take place most often in their own home, with abusers often being adult children or other family members like grandchildren or spouses and partners. "However, abuse can also oc- cur in institutional settings, es- pecially in long-term care facili- ties," Briffa added. "It is best when a victim shows up soon after the incident in or- der to collect any physical and forensic evidence, such as swabs for body fluids, evidence of bod- ily injuries such as bruises or any signs of a struggle, and so forth," she said, stressing the impor- tance of immediately reporting such cases. But even when there are no signs of physical abuse, the vic- tim's version of events is still evidence. "We rely a lot on the credibility of the person," Briffa said. Elderly suffer in 'deprived' old people's homes 400 cases of elderly abuse since 2013 An elderly patient at a church home came down with a severe chest infection and had to wait two days before the doctor came to see her. When he did and prescribed her medication, she had no one to buy them for her until a carer agreed to buy them after work and bring them over in his next morning shift.