Filenews 10 October 2025 - by Marilena Panayi
They are left alone and helpless in their homes, with an unqualified caregiver, without the necessary nursing care, without visits to a doctor, without being able to move, without even financial help since the condition they suffer from is not recognized by the State as a disease or disability for which benefits are granted.
The Parliament of the Elders is sending out an alarm signal for the thousands of elderly patients with dementia. Especially the elderly living in mountainous and remote communities, said the representatives of the Parliament of Elders, do not have the ability to secure even the bare necessities, while the cost of securing specialized services in the private sector has made these services a "luxury item".
A woman was hospitalized and the hospital discharged her because "she had nothing else to offer her", the relatives were unable to find a shelter that could offer her the necessary specialized care without delay since the cost was too high. As a result, the woman died within a few days, said MP Nikos Kettiros, adding to what the representatives of the Parliament of the Elders had mentioned.
The problems faced by the elderly with dementia, the waiting time and the way the elderly are treated in general in the Accident and Emergency Departments, the waiting lists in some medical specialties and the cost of non-prescription drugs that are not covered by the GHS, some of the problems recorded in the report of the Health Committee of the Parliament of the Elders and discussed yesterday during the meeting of the Health Committee of the Parliament.
"Dementia and related diseases are affecting more and more people with cases increasing every day, mainly affecting the elderly but also people of younger ages," said the representatives of the Parliament of the Elders, explaining that "because dementia is not recognized as a disability or otherwise, in order for these people to be entitled to additional benefits, they are granted only the benefits that all elderly people are entitled to, for care, etc. but on the basis of income criteria".
If, for example, an elderly person exceeds the income criteria, even by €50 or €60, he receives nothing from the state and this concerns a very large number of patients.
There is a need for training of professionals in the management of people with dementia both in home care and in inpatient care, stressed the representatives of the Parliament of the Elderly, adding that training is also needed for workers in elderly homes.
Their request is to ensure the right to accompany these people when they come to the Accident and Emergency Departments as well as the implementation and promotion of prevention programs through the personal doctors of the GHS in order to achieve "early diagnosis through simple memory tests which can contribute decisively to the progression of the disease".
Referring to home care, the representatives of the Parliament of the Elders stressed the need to strengthen and expand the institution, both for people with dementia and for the elderly in general.
"Home care is a critical pillar for the care of people with chronic conditions, the elderly or people with limited mobility, both in urban centers and in remote areas, where access to hospitals or medical units is limited."
The number of nurses who are now participating in home care (organized only by OKYPY), is very limited and "not enough to meet the growing needs".
"Especially in rural and remote areas, the problem becomes more intense as many nurses find it difficult to provide their services due to the high cost of travel and limited time."
The Parliament of the Elders proposes the strengthening of the nursing staff, the creation of special incentives for health professionals who undertake to work in remote areas as well as the expansion of the services provided for the relief of elderly patients.
In the same context, the positions of the representatives of the elderly on rehabilitation services.
"The goal and the goal is the establishment and integration of new rehabilitation centers within the GHS, the expansion of beds, the expansion of rehabilitation services and the duration of the treatments provided," they said in particular, "for the elderly whose needs are increased and the cost in private centers is particularly high."
The positions of the representatives of the Parliament of the Elders were reinforced by a representative of the Health Insurance Organization, who informed that the various studies of the HIO show that the lack of these services, i.e. home care and the difficulties in finding specialized care in Shelters or other institutions, significantly burdens inpatient care in the GHS since the time of stay of elderly patients in the GHS is extended hospitals".
For the sixth consecutive year, i.e. since the implementation of the GHS, the Parliament of the Elders raises an issue concerning the cost of non-prescription medicines which before the System the elderly received free of charge from state pharmacies but now pay privately to secure them.
"The high cost of medicines is a significant financial burden for many older people, especially those with limited incomes.
Their request, "the inclusion of innovative and unique drugs in the GHS lists, the inclusion of certain non-prescription but basic drugs or even simple drugs, which are also not included in the approved lists, in the System".
The goal is to get patients out of isolation
More specialization, clearer provisions to ensure and strengthen the provision of palliative care at home, more representation of doctors in Committees and councils and a clearer definition of the responsibilities of nurses and caregivers, were demanded by the participants in yesterday's meeting of the parliamentary committee on Health during which agreement on the principle of the bill was recorded palliative care services in Cyprus.
Particular reference was made to the need to strengthen the provisions regarding the provision of palliative care to children, while the representatives of the various bodies that participated in the meeting submitted their comments on the bill in writing.
The president of the National Bioethics Committee of Cyprus, Konstantinos Fellas, in his statement, stressed that "palliative care is not just a health service, but an expression of respect for human dignity, autonomy and the right of every patient to a life and death free, as much as possible, from pain and isolation".
For palliative care to be properly implemented, he said, "significant resources will be required: adequate funding, highly trained health professionals, doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, spiritual counsellors and others, as well as ongoing training and support of staff." Yesterday was the first and the last session on the principle of the bill and the Health Committee, as announced by its president Efthymios Diplaros, will proceed without delay to the process of article-by-article discussion so that the law can be passed by the Plenary Session of the Parliament in November.
