During this past week St Vincent de Paul Long Term Facility (SVDP) launched the first Frailty Hub in Malta. This is a momentous occasion that crowns a good few years of hard work by our committed specialists in the field of medicine for older persons. Hats off to Dr Mohammed Salem, Dr Antoine Vella and Dr Peter Ferry, who have spearheaded the project. This initiative will translate into tangible benefits in older person care through a central pillar of the strategy of the Active Ageing Ministry, namely healthy ageing through timely, effective and holistic preventive care.
It is no secret that in Malta and Gozo, the over 60’s age-group is nudging the 25th percentile of our population. Demographic forecasts suggest that the over 80’s age- group will triple over the next 25 years. We cannot sit idle and let history unfold. Rather, through the sterling work of Prof Marvin Formosa (gerontologist, University of Malta) we pushed ahead with the second ambitious National Strategy for Active Ageing that will see an inter-ministerial effort to guide and spur this sector to 2030.
We recognise that ageism has no place in a forward-looking society and appreciate the implications of dividing older persons into young-old and old-old categories. This dichotomy is not meant to be discriminatory in any way, shape or form. Quite the contrary, we consider it a sound basis to our planning to meet the widely differing needs of each category with a practical end in sight. Government is committed to slow the admittedly inexorable transition between the two categories by addressing findings and necessities in order to retard, lessen and (if possible) avoid the impact of disability.
The Frailty Hub is the epitome of a multi-disciplinary clinic set-up that involves the work of doctors, nurses, carers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, dentists and hygienists, social workers, psychologists, radiographers and clerks, whose unified aim is to detect, assess and manage the risks, that threaten the physical and mental well-being of older persons. This is a fresh way forward and I have no words to thank these professionals for their impeccable performance. It was a pleasure to host Prof Ann Hendry, Head of the International Foundation of Integrated Care - Scotland and honorary secretary of the British Geriatric Society. Her attendance at the launch, celebrates six years of work and research performed at SVDP in the European field of frailty, under her selfless and expert mentoring. Prof Andrew Elder, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, and himself an expert geriatrician, also attended the event, marking this event as not only momentous but international.
On the back of the 44th Anniversary of Freedom Day and the recent exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union, this occasion highlighted the indissoluble bond that exists between the Maltese and British healthcare spheres – equals with the patient’s best interests at heart.
Dr Jo Etienne Abela MD MPhil FRCSEd FEBS MP is Minister for Active Ageing, Honorary Consultant Surgeon and International Surgical Tutor of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.