Government in private partnership with nine elderly homes

The Nationalist government entered into nine contractual agreements with private elderly homes, social solidarity minister Marie Louise Coleiro Preca told parliament this evening.

Coleiro Preca was replying to a question raised by PN MP Paula Mifsud Bonnici, who asked whether the minister could assure the House that all elderly homes were adhering to the standards requested by law. Mifsud Bonnici also asked whether the minister could whether all companies engaged through the public private partnership scheme offered adequate working conditions to their staff.

Launched in October 2001, the public private partnership scheme encouraged operators of private care homes to take part in a scheme through which the government would purchase long-term care beds in private homes.

"The previous administration entered into contractual agreements with nine private homes," the minister replied.

The nine homes are Roseville, Casa Arkati, Villa Messina, Central Home, Casa Serena, Holy Family, Casa Leone, Sant'Anna and Dar Sawra.

Since currently there is no law which regulates standards in such homes, a working group has been set up by the parliamentary secretariat for the elderly to draft a set of administrative laws for homes providing elderly care in the community.

On the conditions of the workers, Coleiro Preca said the government was committed in fighting precarious working conditions. She however said that the department had no control over workers which were in private employ. "The department has no authority to investigate the working conditions of workers in private homes as the department is not involved in the employment contracts," the minister said.