Conclusion
Malta includes all the demographic characteristics of an
96 Marvin Formosa: Population Trends and ageing Policy in Malta
ageing population, with future projections noting that the
numbers and percentages of older persons are bound to
increase in the coming four decades. It is also clear that
changes in longevity, health and patterns of employment are
transforming how older Maltese citizens are experiencing
later life. It is therefore important that rather than viewing
older people as merely high users of services, the government
recognizes that older people have a range of characteristics,
perspectives and interests, which should be identified,
acknowledged and used to the benefit of society. To-date,
many older people already participate in and contribute to
society in a variety of ways. They provide support to their
families through caring for spouses or grandchildren, as well
as working as volunteers and supporting economic activity
as consumers. The challenge is to develop those structures
and supports that encourage older people to become new
role models and to remain fully engaged in their communities.
To this end, an active ageing strategy facilitates greater
engagement of older people through the following: (i) providing
a wide range of opportunities for older people, (ii)
seeking to increase motivation to participate in activities
based on the individual older person’s needs and wishes, (iii)
tackling any barriers to full engagement particularly for
those facing greater barriers such as those who are more frail
and dependent, and (iv), increasing awareness of the benefits
of engagement for older people and their communities. For
persons to really experience active ageing, it is imperative
that the Maltese government follows the advice of the WHO
[8] to provide education and learning opportunities
throughout the life course, possibilities for health literacy
sessions, and especially, pre-retirement planning. One must
enable the full participation of older people by providing
policies and programs in education and training that support
lifelong learning for women and men as they age. Older
persons are also to be provided with opportunities to develop
new skills, particularly in areas such as information technologies.
Moreover, polices are to encourage as much as
possible people to participate fully in family and community
life as they grow older, even if they experience a range of
physical/cognitive issues and enter residential/nursing home
settings. Only so can we reach the United Nations’ dictum of
not simply ‘adding years to life’, but more importantly,
‘adding life to years’.