Government spends more than €1 million a year on nappies and absorbent products for the elderly and persons suffering from incontinence.
Incontinence services provided by the health department are divided between around €261,000 a year in the community and €824,000 in long-term care institutions.
Speaking at a conference on bowel care organised by the Malta Continence Care Association last Tuesday, Parliamentary Secretary for the Elderly and Community Care Mario Galea asked whether “this million euro” was being well spent.
“Should the expenditure lie solely on absorbent products?” he said. “How should the resources available to providing continence service be distributed? Is the provision of absorbent products the only way to address the needs of the people utilising the Incontinence Service?”
Last year, 2,688 people made use of the incontinence service.
“Whilst it is commonly accepted that its physical effects are not life threatening, its symptoms can have a devastating and debilitating effect on the individual’s life and their respective families,” Galea added. “Unfortunately there is still a certain amount of stigma attached with continence and incontinence care issues and for some reason these conditions are still being dealt with behind closed doors.
“These silent sufferers should not be left to deal with the situation alone. As you all know very well, professional care is available and so we need to continue to reach out to these people and encourage them to come forward and seek help.”