The last part of the original Little Sisters of the Poor St Paul's home for the elderly in Hamrun - excluding the palace, which is to undergo restoration - is coming crashing down today in a final demolition phase, preceding the remaining construction works.
The statue of St Paul, which once adorned the façade, was yesterday removed and left among the debris, awaiting its relocation on the premises.
The next step would also involve the costly restoration of the older and historical part of the building on Fra Diego Square, which has remained intact and dates back to the time of the Knights, explained Sister Amy, assistant to the Mother Superior.
The Little Sisters of the Poor had first occupied the old and abandoned palace in Hamrun in 1880, building a vaster home around it.
Ever since the demolition, reconstruction and refurbishment project for the old people's home took off around four years ago, the nuns have been shifting themselves and their belongings, as well as the few residents they did not relocate for health reasons, around the building. But no one is complaining... despite the fact that they are virtually living on a building site.
On the contrary, they are excited about the work, which is slowly materialising, having been on the drawing board as long as six years ago.
Their fine-tuned coordination has meant that they have retained about 30 residents and managed to continue to fend for their needs, while the walls came tumbling down and areas in the home were rebuilt and modernised, complete with lifts and wheelchair access everywhere.
The parts of the building that have been reconstructed are already being utilised, while workmen are still swarming the corridors, adding high-tech finishing touches.
"We decided to reconstruct the home because it was no longer up to standard and we could not continue to operate and offer the elderly proper care in such conditions. Among other problems, the ceilings were so high it was impossible to install air conditioners, or have adequate heating," Sr Amy said.
"Today, the elderly join as at around 85 to 100 years old - no longer at 65 - and they stay with us until they die. It was impossible, for example, to continue having toilets located at the very end of a long corridor."
Eventually, Sr Amy continued, when the works are completed - hopefully, within the next two years - the home should house around 70 elderly of the lowest income bracket in an ambience that is fit for them.
Indeed, although unfinished, it already has a fresh, comfortable and clean air about it and "the elderly deserve no less," Sr Amy insisted, adding that "they have lived through two world wars and made Malta what it is today.
"The best way to care for them is to give them their own rooms. They need space and cannot be expected to share. Which children do not have their own rooms today? So, why should the elderly not?"
The previous building was composed mostly of dormitories, with dining areas inconveniently spread over four individual rooms, separating men from women. But things are different nowadays, Sr Amy said.
The rooms are private, with enough space to house the bulky equipment that the elderly normally need. They even have balconies overlooking the courtyard and what would eventually be landscaped areas.
"If they are provided with adequate space and given the opportunity, the elderly can continue fending for themselves," Sr Amy maintained as an over-90-year-old proved, wheeling himself down the corridor to lunch.
The new building has two dining rooms and a host of facilities, including a chapel, a cafeteria, a living room, a laundry and an industrial-type kitchen, recreational areas, an occupational therapy room, a multi-purpose hall, complete with a large stage for entertainment and even a ramp for the residents to go onto it, a section for medical care, and a day centre to cater for the locality's elderly, who can enjoy the "warmth and friendship" in the home.
"Our aim is to create a family spirit; it is a home, not a factory," Sr Amy said, explaining that the same standards were being achieved in most of the 222 homes of the Little Sisters of the Poor, located in 32 countries worldwide.
Ten nuns and several volunteers take care of the residents at St Paul's Home and Sr Amy knows the history and background of each one. As she bends over to kiss a sleeping Pauline Busuttil, she praises her for having brought up five children on her own after she lost her husband at only 35 years old.
"Does she not deserve to be treated well now?"
It is clear that for the Little Sisters of the Poor, the home is not a "business", but a matter of "love".
The cost of the reconstruction and refurbishment project is estimated at around Lm3 million, according to Sr Amy - and she is forever involved in fund-raising initiatives, appealing to anyone to make a donation, "no matter how big, or small".
Contributions can be sent to the Little Sisters of the Poor, St Paul's Home, Hamrun HMR 08, or deposited into account numbers: APS 11043210016; BoV 13817022019; HSBC 023060205051; and Lombard Bank 01440301799.