​Active Ageing and Community Care has introduced improved palliative care in Elderly Homes run by the Government. Through a pilot project at Mtarfa Home of the Elderly, the care will be provided inside the Residential Home itself, with control of symptoms such as pain, and more comfort for our elderly who would not need to leave for hospital.

Currently, in collaboration with other entities, palliative care was being provided to residents suffering from conditions including cancer, Motor Neurone Disease, cardiac disease, respiratory diseases, liver disease, as well as kidney disease. However, most residents in Care Homes also face other conditions, such as dementia, parkinsons and strokes.

Through this palliative treatment project, treatment will now be given within the Residential Home itself, and will include control of symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, agitation, depression and seizures.

For this purpose, a palliative care team consisting of several different professionals has been set up to provide holistic care.

To carry out this project, training was carried out at Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre. Protocols and procedures have been drawn up, as well as the responsibilities that each category of professionals has within the multi-disciplinary team to deliver holistic palliative care. The necessary equipment was purchased at a cost of over EUR 4,000. After about four months of analysis of the pilot project, this project will be spread to all Government Residential Homes for the elderly.