A significant decline has been recorded in recent years in complaints relating to care homes for the elderly, a development attributed both to the implementation of the state subsidy scheme and to tighter inspections by the competent services.
The president of the Third Age Observatory, Dimos Antoniou, says the change is directly linked to the introduction of stricter quality criteria for the operation of care facilities, as well as to increased oversight by the Social Welfare Services. As he notes, complaints were frequent three years ago and covered a wide range of issues, from improper behaviour and poor living conditions to cases of abuse of elderly residents. Today, he says, such incidents have been drastically reduced, with complaints “countable on the fingers of one hand”.
At the same time, Antoniou reiterated the Observatory’s position against the institutionalisation of older people, stressing that residence in a care home is not an ideal solution. “As an Observatory, we are generally opposed to the institutionalisation of the elderly. However, when it comes to people who cannot look after themselves and need to be moved to such facilities, the state has an obligation to ensure their easy access to these services,” he said.
He also underlined that the state’s responsibility does not stop at overseeing care homes, but extends to ensuring access to long-term healthcare services for elderly people who remain within the community.