Description
The project is an answer to the critical need to plan, fund and sustain services dedicated to the elderly people in Romania in the context of accelerated ageing phenomena in our country and the context of insufficient medical and social services for this vulnerable group especially in rural areas. The project will enable FSC to consolidate and develop the sustained integrated services through the extension of the home care services to serve 100 more elderly in a new community, renovation and extension of the „Milly Village of the Seniors” residential care center, increasing the capacity with 14 people; we will promote active ageing through drama play and a publication called „The Voice of the Seniors” sustained at day center „Dr.Stefan Ciobanu” and FSC will raise awareness to the authorities on the urgent need to plan, budget and develop services through a study, county plan, strategical meetings, regional seminar and visit of representative delegation to the Ministry of Work.
Summary of project results
The project responded to the critical need of planning, funding and implementing services dedicated to the elderly in Romania, taking into account the overall aging phenomenon and also the fact that health and social services for this group are seriously underdeveloped or completely lacking in rural areas. The project enabled the promoter to develop and consolidate the existing integrated services, by extending the home care provision to 106 elderly in a new rural community, Corbasca. This brought, for the first time, home services for the elderly which were tailored on the needs of each beneficiary. During project implementation, the local authorities became convinced of the necessity of the social services for elderly and, consequently, the home care is still available after the end of the project, the cost being covered by the Local Council. Within the project, the residential home “Milly village for the seniors” was rehabilitated, providing an up to standards kitchen for all the residents of the complex and a new residential module for 14 elderly (the number of residents increased from 30 to 44). The integrated services also included the Day Centre for the Elderly “Dr. Stefan Ciobanu”. The “active aging” concept was promoted through the activities of the Day Centre: 173 elderly from Bacau socialised every day, benefited of physiotherapy, created a drama play and performed it 5 times, drafted and distributed 4 editions of the newspaper “The Voice of the seniors” (1,000 printed copies each). In the implementation of this project, the promoter also aimed at convincing decision makers that there is an urgent need to plan, budget and develop services targeting elderly people. A study was carried out in 85 communes and a County Development and Budget Plan for Services for the Elderly was drafted, aiming to disseminate the model implemented by the promoter and to extend the service provision for this social category. A regional seminar with over 50 participants was organised, with presentations of the best practice models of services for the elderly, from NGOS and state authorities. The efforts to promote social services for the elderly also included strategic meetings with representatives of the elderly and the institutions in the field, as well as a representative delegation to the Ministry of Family Social Protection and the Elderly.
Summary of bilateral results