-
.
- Ελληνικά
Today's conference highlights the importance of including the ageing dimension in all the policies we design. The population is ageing and as societies we need to adapt to this change.
We recognise the important benefits of longevity, which thanks to medical advances, better living and working conditions, increased prosperity and progress in public health and care allows older people to stay healthy and active longer and to participate actively in their communities, giving our societies increased opportunities to benefit from their contribution to, among others, the economy, society, culture, education, health and the environment.
We recognise the important benefits of longevity, which thanks to medical advances, better living and working conditions, increased prosperity and progress in public health and care, allows older people to stay healthy and active longer and to participate actively in their communities, giving our societies increased opportunities to benefit from their contribution to, among others, the economy, society, culture, education and the environment. We have already started studying good practices both in our country and internationally, drawing policies that can be implemented if adapted to the Cyprus context.
We seek the coordination and participation of all relevant stakeholders and civil society. A meeting has already been convened in early January by the Third Age Body, the valuable advisor and partner of the Ministry of State, on the exclusive topic of the National Action Plan and the National Strategy for the Third Age. The Steering Committee for the National Strategy will be convened in mid-January, in a first stage at the level of the Directors General of the relevant Ministries to define responsibilities and priorities.
The National Strategy will be the key policy document for the Third Age, coordinating actions and initiatives on issues related to healthy and active ageing, quality living, socialisation and inclusion of older people.
We recognise that older people are becoming the fastest growing segment of the population and we need to be more aware of and responsive to the diversity of their abilities and the inequalities that accumulate over the life course. We also recognise that older people are not a homogeneous group, but a group within which situations, identities, needs, economic capabilities and opportunities vary.
In parallel with the development of the National Strategy and the National Action Plan for the Elderly, I am announcing today for the first time that the Ministry of Social Welfare, taking into account the needs and challenges, particularly with regard to long-term care, the cost of living, and the cost of food in residential homes for the elderly, is developing a specialised Long-Term Care Subsidy Scheme.
Through the Plan, part of the cost of food for those who cannot afford it will be subsidized. At the same time, through specific criteria, the quality upgrade of the services and programmes provided will be ensured.
At the same time, the Ministry of Social Welfare continues its actions and policies, implementing programmes aimed at supporting the elderly, with the aim of promoting structures and actions for their support, care, empowerment and socialisation.
In this context, the Social Welfare Services of the Ministry of State register and inspect the operation of care programmes for the elderly, thus ensuring that the level of quality is in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations.
Having listened to the request of the Elderly Body, I have instructed that the Advisory Board be reconstituted in order to further strengthen the inspections with the involvement of those directly concerned. We have already sent letters to those directly involved to nominate representatives.
Regarding social benefits under the Minimum Guaranteed Income legislation, in 2022, 5,813 families over 65 years of age have benefited with a total expenditure of €25.3 million for the purpose of covering their basic and emergency needs, while 2,769 persons over 65 years of age received an amount of €8.5 million to cover care needs.
In 2022, more than 22,000 families benefited from the low-income scheme with a total expenditure of €90.7 million, while an Easter allowance of €3.5 million was also granted in 2023 to around 18,500 pensioners. At the same time, some 32,000 low pensioners benefited an amount of €7.7 million due to the 5% increase in the Low Pensioner's Allowance and the simultaneous absorption of the increases granted to Social Security pensions from 1/1/2022.
We are also strengthening, in cooperation and with Civil Society, the operation of social care programmes. Under the State Aid Plan of the Ministry of State, annual financial support is given to Non-Governmental Organisations and Local Authorities for the operation of programmes serving the elderly. Specifically, in 2022, 61 such programmes, Homes for the Elderly, Adult Centres and Home Care Services, received a total of €1.7 million in state aid.
Also, through the Recovery and Resilience Plan, the opportunity is given to create new or upgrade and expand existing 24-hour Care Centres for adults with long-term care needs, an opportunity that we will take full advantage of, as two new structures will be created by 31 December 2024 and a further four new structures by 30 June 2026. This initiative is of particular importance as it marks the implementation of a new type of service for older people. These will be small homes for up to 10 people, with priority given to mountainous, disadvantaged remote areas and partnerships.
Undoubtedly, one of the groups affected by punctuality is the elderly. The Government has recently announced a package of measures that provide a social safety net for people more broadly. Measures from which older people also benefit, such as a graduated subsidy on electricity costs for certain months, a reduction in the excise duty on heating oil, a reduction in the excise duty on motor fuel, and the application of a zero rate of VAT on basic goods.
Old age is a dynamic component of the modern era. Its active participation in areas and levels that go beyond the narrow family boundaries is now imperative and decisive.
Together with local communities and local authorities, we must strengthen actions to involve older people in the community. And through these, both local communities and Cyprus as a whole will benefit.
At the same time, the strengthening of actions carried out at national level, such as the House of Elders and the Third Age Body, are important factors for the participation of older people in decision-making centres.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Ministry of Social Welfare, through its participation in international and European initiatives, seeks to exchange views and good practices with other countries in order to address challenges more effectively.
Speaking of the search for good practices, it is important to focus on the importance of this search.
First of all, the best source for the search and exploitation of good practices cannot be other than the EU itself, of which we are a member state. We are already exchanging good practices with my European counterparts on various issues.
In addition, the study of other countries' policies does not necessarily mean that they are good practices or even if they are good practices it does not mean that they can be applied to the data and needs of our country.
Very many of the policies implemented by the Ministry of Social Welfare stem from the search for good practices or from the adoption of European programmes.
For example, the Neighbourhood Social Worker Programme, a programme which clearly serves and empowers older people, is an exploitation of a European programme which is also applied in other EU Member States.
The involvement of local government in this programme, and more broadly in many of the policies of the Deputy Ministry already mentioned, also results from the adoption of good practices from European and other modern countries. Local Government, as the institution closest to citizens, is clearly better able to identify the needs and challenges of citizens, both individually and at the local level, enabling primarily prevention but also more immediate intervention.
Modern social policy requires the decentralisation of services both at the local level and at the level of Non-Governmental Organisations.
Modern social policy requires the decentralisation of services both at the local level and at the level of Non-Governmental Organisations. The Ministry of Social Welfare opts for this modern policy, making use of private initiative, especially of those directly concerned. For the Deputy Ministry, valuable partners are either the individuals themselves who face the challenges or the members of their families, through the Associations or Organizations that represent them.
The experience and experiences of these people are taken into account both in the formulation and implementation of policies, which is why we choose, and I stress the word, to strengthen these Non-Governmental Organizations, which in the case of the elderly, for example, are the various Associations and Organizations that represent them.
I have already mentioned in the analysis of our social policy for the elderly the creation of small, family-type homes within the community, which will provide personalised services, as well as skills development programmes and training programmes aimed at their inclusion, their activation and their integration into society.
This is also the adoption of good practice that is more widely followed in modern states. This good practice is being adopted not only in relation to older people but also across the whole spectrum of vulnerability, for example for children in the legal care of the state, adolescents, people with disabilities, etc.
I want to stress that good practice does not necessarily exist only abroad. Good practices also exist in our own country, which we have identified and will include in our National Strategy. I myself have visited, warned and unannounced, Nursing Homes and I can assure you that there are also model Homes with high quality care services and innovative programmes for the elderly.
Also, in the context of the exchange of good practices, Cyprus also gives good practices of social policy to other countries.
Ladies and gentlemen,
In order to achieve all the objectives mentioned above, it is necessary to intensify efforts for integrated actions, to promote actions to encourage intergenerational cooperation and to reduce prejudices and stereotypes about the role of each generation in society.
I assure you that the Christodoulides Government and the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, as the responsible Deputy Ministry, will continue to support and promote policies and actions aimed at social integration, healthy ageing, inclusion, socialisation, the provision of quality support and care services and whatever else is needed to further improve the quality of life of our elderly.
(MΘ/ΝΓ/ΑΣΠ)
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
