CareMalta Group held a press call to announce a significant step in its commitment to the dignity and well-being of older persons by formally adopting the Ethical Guidelines for the Care of Older Persons issued by the Archdiocese of Malta earlier this year.
CareMalta Group announced this during a press conference held at Casa Arkati, Mosta, which was attended by Archbishop Charles Scicluna along with other representatives from the Archdiocese of Malta.
The aim of these guidelines is to promote the protection of life until its final moments and to emphasise the right to life. As these guidelines specifically focus on elderly care and their dignity, CareMalta Group believes that dignity must take precedence. The document, titled Care for Elderly Persons in Church and Religious Residential Homes in Malta: Ethical Guidelines, looks not only at holistic care but also at the obligations and rights of employees as well as the responsibilities of the organization managing the elderly care facility.
As part of this initiative, CareMalta Group has also launched an Ethics Committee to oversee the implementation of these guidelines and ensure they are consistently upheld in every facility operated by the Group.
Through this committee, CareMalta Group will also be discussing issues that may create dilemmas in particular cases, from which additional ethical guidelines may be developed and approved by this committee.
The committee within CareMalta Group will be composed of a number of professionals: Rev. Prof. Raymond Zammit, representing the Faculty of Theology at the University of Malta; Prof. Charles Savona Ventura, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Noel Borg, Head of Operations at CareMalta Group, who also has a personal interest in ethics and is pursuing doctoral studies in the field; and James Sciriha, CEO of CareMalta Group. The committee will also consult with external experts as needed, depending on the case or field being addressed. These may include experts in geriatrics, psychiatry, and pediatrics, amongst other experts.