4 troisi-prague 2012 ifa

MULTI-SECTORAL EDUCATION IN

THE FIELD OF AGEING: THE

MALTESE EXPERIENCE

Professor Dr. Joseph TROISI

Director

International Institute on Ageing

United Nations-Malta

IFA 11th Global Conference on Ageing Prague,

Czech Republic, May 28-June 1, 2012

Population ageing poses unique challenges to

every society.

It has profound effects on every aspect of

individual, community, national and

international life. The significant increase in

life expectancy unavoidably implies not only

a heightened demand for existing support

services but also for new services and

alternative approaches.

Joseph TROISI, International Institute on Ageing, UN-Malta

Consequently, new approaches to medical

care and the delivery of social and

economic services are needed. The non-

achievement of such standards would

result in dire consequences including

unnecessary suffering and prolonged

dependence among the older persons

involved.


A very serious deficiency being faced by

many countries, especially in the

developing world, in the economic,

social and health planning to meet the

challenges of population ageing is the

pronounced scarcity of trained

caregivers.


CAPACITY BUILDING

As was emphasised in the Madrid

Plan of Action on Ageing itself and in

various UN General Assemblies, the

very implementation of the Plan

fundamentally requires two essential

facets which though distinct are

intrinsically related.


These are: national capacity building

and the mainstreaming of ageing into

national development policies and

programmes on ageing.


The report of the Secretary-General entitled

Follow-up to the Second World Assembly on

Ageing delivered at the sixty-first session of

the General Assembly in 2006, highlights the

fact that the existence of national plans of

action, programmes and services, although

important, are not by themselves effective

indicators of a country’s implementation of

the recommendations of the Madrid Plan.


These depend fully on the individual

country’s human capacity to implement

and oversee these policies and

programmes. Capacity building is thus

aimed at strengthening the country’s

ability to meet these needs in various

sectors be they economic, legal, medical,

political, social, etc.


One of the five essential elements of

national capacity building highlighted in

the Secretary-General’s report, in the

light of the recommendations of the

Madrid Plan of Action, is Human

Resource Development which

“encompasses investment in training for

the acquisition of skills in crucial areas of

expertise”. It is seen as the key element of

any effort made at capacity-building.


EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Although in many countries the need for

training in the fields of geriatrics and

gerontology has been recognised, this

recognition has not yet been translated

into action as one would have expected.


When referring to education and

training in the various aspects of ageing,

there is the danger of restricting them to

high levels of specialisation given at

universities resulting in the production

of geriatricians and gerontologists.


In short it can be said that education

in the field of ageing needs to be

multi-sectoral in nature covering: 1)

levels of specialisation for the

professionals; 2) those who directly

work in the field of ageing or/and

with older persons; and 3) the older

persons themselves.


The Madrid International Plan of Action

on Ageing 2002 constantly reiterated, in

various articles, the importance of

training and of having trained

personnel. Issue 4 in the Second Priority

Direction is totally devoted to the

training of care providers and health

professionals.


Article 82 states “there is an urgent

worldwide need to expand educational

opportunities in the fields of geriatrics

and gerontology for all health

professionals who work with older

persons and to expand educational

programmes on health and older

persons for professionals in the social

service sector”.


However, the same Plan emphasises the

fact that the need of education and

training is not only limited to the health

professionals and the formal carers but

should be open to all and at all levels.

Moreover, because of the multi-faceted

nature of aging, the two Plans of Action

emphasise the need of developing multi-

disciplinary and inter-disciplinary

education and training programmes.


A number of countries stand today at a

critical turning point for confronting the

challenges and issues generated by the

rapidly growing older population. In

order to meet the special needs of this

phenomenon adequately, training of

personnel has become a major issue that

needs to be tackled with urgency, lest

events overtake history.


THE MALTESE EXPERIENCE

For a number of years, Malta has been

playing a very important role in the field of

ageing.

In fact in 1969, a resolution tabled by the

Maltese government to consider the

phenomenon of population ageing as a global

phenomenon and to give it priority

consideration was unanimously accepted by

the UN General Assembly at its twenty-

fourth session.


Malta’s role in instigating the

international community’s concern

about the world’s ageing population

found its fruition in the first World

Assembly on Ageing in 1982


The First World Assembly on Ageing,

and the ensuing Vienna International

Plan of Action on Aging, the United

Nations General Assembly, in its

Resolution 37/51 recommended ‘inter

alia’ the promotion of training and

research, as well as the exchange of

information and knowledge in order to

provide an international basis for social

policies and action.


International Institute on Ageing, United

Nations-Malta (INIA)

As a result of its Resolution 1987/51, the UN

Economic and Social Council recommended

to the Secretary-General, the establishment of

the International Institute on Aging (INIA).

On the 9th October 1987, the United Nations

signed an agreement with the Government of

Malta to establish the Institute as an

autonomous body under the auspices of the

United Nations. Joseph TROISI, International Institute on Ageing, UN-Malta

The Institute was inaugurated on the

15th April 1988 by the then UN

Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. Javier

Perez de Cuellar.


Its mandate is tripartite in nature namely: 1)

To train personnel from developing countries

who are working or who intend to work in the

field of ageing or with older persons; 2) To

provide advocacy to developing countries in

matters concerning capacity building

concerning ageing and older persons; and 3)

To act as a practical bridge between developed

and developing countries in the area of

information exchange in the field of ageing.


Activities

Training and Capacity Building

Networking

Research

Publications

International Meetings and Fora


Training and Capacity Building

Main Activity – 3 phases

Training in Malta

‘In-Situ’ programmes

Satellite Centres


INIA provides multi-disciplinary education

and training by annually running, in Malta,

short-training programmes of two weeks’

duration in

Social Gerontology,

Economic and Financial Aspects of Ageing,

Health Promotion, Quality of Life and Well-being

Policy Formulation, Planning, Implementation of MIPAA

Demographic Aspects of Population Ageing


Almost 2,100 persons working in the

field of ageing from 151 countries all

over the world benefitted from the

capacity building programmes held in

Malta.


In 1995, INIA started running ‘in situ’

training programmes. Aware of the great

heterogeneity which exists in the field of

ageing and among older persons

themselves, these are tailored to the

specific needs and situations of the older

persons in each of the countries or regions

concerned.


During the past 16 years such training

programmes have been carried out in the

following 24 countries.


Almost 1,700 participants benefitted

from these ‘in situ’ programmes. The

participants in the ‘in situ’

programmes tend to be not only more

homogenous but also more familiar

with the national or local situations.


In order to be better equipped in

implementing its mandate in human

resource developing and training in the

field of ageing, INIA has set up five

satellite centres in China, in India for the

seven SARC countries, in Singapore for

the ten ASEAN countries, in

St.Petersburg for the countries of Central

and Eastern Europe and in Tunisia for

the Maghreb countries.


INIA also provides advocacy to

governments to help them in formulating

and implementing national and local

policies and programmes in the field of

ageing. Such a service has been provided to

the governments of Bahrain, Croatia,

Egypt, India, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman,

Pakistan and Tunisia.


To implement its UN given mandate, INIA

closely collaborates with various UN bodies

and agencies, the United Nations Regional

Commissions, etc. INIA’s collaborative

partners also include other international and

national organisations, universities and non-

governmental organisations.


The Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics,

University of Malta

Education in the field of ageing needs to be

multi-sectoral in nature covering:

Levels of specialisation for the professionals;

Those who directly work with older persons;

The older persons themselves


In line with the Vienna International

Plan of Action on Ageing, Malta once

again was at the forefront and, in 1986,

set up within its University, one of the

oldest in the Mediterranean, the Institute

of Gerontology aimed at providing multi-

disciplinary academic education and

research in the field of ageing.


Following its mandate, it conducts

postgraduate multi-disciplinary

academic education:

in-service programmes for carers of

older persons;

pre-retirement programmes;

a University of the Third Age;

the running of a radio programme to

promote the quality of life of older

persons and to educate the general

public.


Postgraduate multi-disciplinary

programmes leading to a Master (M.Ger.)

and a Doctorate in Gerontology &

Geriatrics (Ph.D.Ger.). These academic

programmes provide opportunities for

correlation of theory and practice,

experience in innovative practice, service

planning and delivery.


In-Service training programmes The

government of Malta firmly believes

that para-professionals and primary

care workers should have the necessary

knowledge, skills and attitudes to

facilitate good care namely concern,

treatment of older persons in their

localities.


To meet this need the Institute

initiated two-weeks intensive

programmes for all those working

in the care of Older persons in the

formal sector. Each programme

consists of lectures, discussions and

site visits.


Pre-Retirement Programmes In 1997,

the Institute set up pre-retirement

programmes aimed at enabling workers

in the public and private sector who will

be retiring from active employment to

prepare themselves to a new style of life,

socially, economically, psychologically,

health wise, etc.


Each programme normally consists of

between 14-16 sessions each of two

hours duration. Every session is made

up of an animated lecture and a

discussion.

Participants are encouraged to play

an active role.

Joseph TROISI, International Institute on Ageing, UN-Malta Joseph TROISI, International Institute on Ageing, UN-Malta

University of the Third Age (U3A) One of

the very effective modern forms of

participation of older persons in the process

of development is the establishment of the

Universities of the Third Age. It was

precisely in this light that in January 1993

the Institute of Gerontology set up the

University of the Third Age in Malta.


The aim of the U3A is knowledge for its

own sake. It does not ask for special

qualifications for enrolment nor does it

grant any certificates or diplomas.

Membership is open to all those above

the age of 60. Members come from all

walks of life.


Radio Programme. In January 1993, the

Institute was requested by the Maltese

Public Broadcasting Services Corporation

to produce and present a weekly one hour

educational programme for one of the

national radio stations.


In its own way this radio programme which

has an overall holistic approach is bringing

about a change in perspective.

On the one hand, it is helping older persons

to improve their quality of life and well-

being.

On the other hand, it is promoting a positive

image of older persons eradicating negative

stereotypes and attitudes of the general

public.


CONCLUSION

The gap between the projected increases

of the older population and the

consequently required services,

combined with the parallel development

of the personnel needed to carry out

these services, creates a pressing and

urgent need to train appropriate staff.


The challenges ahead of us, especially in the

coming thirty years are huge. Our work is a

drop in the ocean. However, we are very

optimistic that together we can surely help

countries to prepare themselves to meeting

the challenges of population ageing by

implementing the Priority Directions of the

Madrid International Plan of Action on

Ageing.


THANK YOU

FOR YOUR ATTENTION

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4 troisi-prague 2012 ifa