Following a round of unannounced visits to state facilities for the elderly, Ombudswoman Maria Stylianou Lottides on Tuesday called for the preparation of a bill on the operation of rest homes to meet the real needs of those infirmed.

Lottides said the buildings visited were in need of renovation, restoration, repairs, new hygiene installations and proper staffing.

In a report, Lottides said the visits were deemed necessary due to the vulnerability of the people living in the facilities and the possible violation of their rights.

An officer visited Ayios Panteleimon home for the elderly in Limassol on February 19, Ayios Georgios B in Larnaca on February 21 and Nefeli Taliotis in Paphos on March 4.

The visits were made without prior warning, the Ombudswoman said.

Lottides suggested continuous training for the staff, planned entertainment and activities tailored to the needs of the residents and customised care plans.

She also proposed properly recording the use of physical restraint measures.

Given the effort to modernise the legislative framework for the homes, Lottides said the revised bill should protect the rights of those infirmed and regulate the operation of the homes.

“It is necessary for the legislation to include the rightful approach to issues concerning elderly people […] and an approach based on human rights and individual needs,” Lottides said.

She also said legislation should allow the elderly to reside with mentally ill patients or patients undergoing rehabilitation.

This, she added, demanded cooperation between all ministries and services.

In 2024 there were around 270 reports of mistreatment or abuse surrounding the elderly in care homes.

Over the years there have been reports of hair pulling, slaps and elderly people not having their diapers changed causing serious infections.

“Many times people are too afraid to name which care home the abuse is being carried out in. This reveals a climate of terror, and this is what concerns us,” Demos Antoniou, who heads the Third Age Observatory, said earlier this year.