Copyright timesofmalta
The Nationalist Party said it wants more funds to be dedicated to dementia prevention and cure, days after an 88-year-old man was killed following an alleged attack by his care home roommate. Eighty-eight-year-old Giuseppe Perini, who had dementia and was a resident at Dar San Ġużepp in Fgura, died on Wednesday after an alleged attack by his roommate, who Perini’s family claims was known to be aggressive and violent. “We have seen several incidents occur recently which show a serious failure in the system and are clear evidence of the need not only to provide the best care to these individuals but also to ensure they are protected and have the right to feel safe, wherever they may be,” a statement by the party said. Besides Perini, Carmelo Fino was also in care when he went missing from St Vincent de Paul and was found dead two months later in August 2022. In the statement signed by shadow ministers Paula Mifsud Bonnici, Stephen Spiteri, and Ian Vassallo, the PN said 7,500 people currently have dementia in Malta and that number will only increase with time. “By 2050, this number is expected to rise to 17,000,” the statement said. Despite this, the government is doing very little, they said. “The Maltese population is continuously getting older, and with it, the number of people with dementia is also increasing. We cannot risk being caught as a country without sufficient facilities to care for every patient with the dignity they deserve,” the statement said. “Although a national strategy exists, it is evident that more investment is needed both in the strategy and in preventive care, as well as in treatment, so that the patient does not deteriorate rapidly,” they said. The PN called for more screening for the condition so that dementia is detected as early as possible, and for facilities providing care to patients to be equipped with the best equipment. It is also important to have staff who are well trained on dementia to provide Malta’s elderly with the best possible support, they said. Paula Mifsud Bonnici is the PN’s shadow minister for the elderly, Stephen Spiteri is shadow minister for health, and Ian Vassallo is shadow minister for preventive care.
