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Problems that elderly
people face in Vojvodina |
Population of Vojvodina is demographically very old,
with more than 13% of older than 60 in total
population. In Novi Sad only there is more than
55,000 pensioners and around 8,500 elderly refugees
and internally displaced persons older than 60.
Large part of this population lives alone, in bad
accommodation under any hygienic and living
standard. Modest pensions are hardly sufficient to
cover basic living costs. Many of these people spend
their days neglected, closed in their homes, alone
and poor. Dependence from other people's aid and
care makes them almost completely passive and
uninterested for other activities. From humanitarian
point of view, one of the most urgent social
problems in our society is inadequate and
insufficient care for the elderly. There is a large
number of 'invisible' people who live in poverty and
who are not encompassed with any kind of social and
health protection. Our experience in working with
the elderly shows that the elderly think of them as
of people who have no right to be active, happy, to
equally participate in social life - just because
they are 'old'. In community itself there is
sometimes a lack of solidarity and lack of active
participation in solving community problems. That
applies to the problems of the elderly, too. |
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projects aiming to help the elderly are providing incentives
to local communities to act, improving inner solidarity and
developing more humane relations between people. Through
organized professional and volunteer work NSHC was able to
directly assist more that 1,000 elderly persons in Novi Sad
and Vojvodina. They have all been supported and empowered to
live a longer, better and fulfilled life in their mature
age. |
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Home Care Service |
NSHC's Home Care Service has officially started with
work on October 9, 2006 as a continuation of home
care activities started back in 2002. This project
engages four nurses, eight home makers, nurse
supervisors, medical doctor, psychologist and social
worker. One of the selection criteria is
social status of a beneficiary: advantage is given
to those who are poor, living alone or without
support from their relatives, and who are in need
for home care services. Home care services
encompass: maintaining
personal hygiene, bed hygiene and comfort,
maintaining and improving mobility,
pressure sores prevention, monitoring and
control of vital signs,
and counseling and preventive work with a
beneficiary and his/her family. Help in a house
services encompass:
cleaning
services, assistance with clothes hygiene and
running various errands.
By
the end of April 2007, the Service had 155
registered beneficiaries, and 106 of them have been
receiving services: 43 have been receiving home care
services, 60 help in a house services, and combined
services were give to 3 beneficiaries.
Within this project, and in cooperation with other
actors of social and health care in the City, NSHC
prepared a publication "Social and Health Services
for the Elderly - Research in Novi Sad". The
publication should serve as a basis for making a
comprehensive guide through various services for the
elderly in Novi Sad. The
publication will soon be available on our website. |
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NGOs and Faith Based Organizations Improve the
Elderly Care |
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In
cooperation with 'Philanthropy' and 'Caritas' from
Belgrade, and with financial assistance from CRS
(Catholic Relief Services), in 2005 NSHC implemented
a project of participatory research of problems that
elderly people and their families face in Serbia.
The research included analysis of best practices
from institutional and non-institutional forms of
social services for the elderly. The data was
collected through focus groups in which elderly
persons from 15 Serbian cities and villages
participated. Experiences from this research were
exchanged with the Union of the Elderly from the
Netherlands, in order to recommend innovative new
forms of elderly care, based on western experiences.
As a result, three pilot-communities will be
selected where implementation of non-institutional
forms of social protection will take place. |
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''Open
Doors'' (voluntary home care services for the elderly in Zabalj
and Titel) |
Since February
2004, in cooperation with Center for Social Welfare
'Solidarity', in municipalities Zabalj and Titel NSHC
implemented a project of voluntary assistance to 123 elderly
poor persons. Volunteer visits were organized at least once
a week to each beneficiary, and visits of social worker and
medical doctor at least once in two months. There were 45
volunteer engaged, who were all educated from basic skills
in working with the elderly. This was the first
non-institutional form of social services organized in these
two underdeveloped municipalities. Financial support was
given by Fund for Social Innovations of the ministry for
Labor, Employment and Social Welfare of the Republic of
Serbia. Participatory evaluation conducted during the
project showed significant improvement in psychological,
health and overall physical status of beneficiaries. 67%
estimated that they are socializing much more since this
project begun, than it was the case before. Professionals
from the Center fro Social Welfare estimated that
implementation of this project contributed to a more quality
social services in Zabalj and Titel. They also noticed that
engagement of volunteers contributed to better insight into
the real needs in the field about the most vulnerable
elderly persons. |
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Comprehensive Assistance to the Elderly |
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The
project of comprehensive assistance to the elderlz,
which NSHC implemented during the years 2000 and
2001, had a goal to improve the quality of life of
poor elderly people in Novi Sad and surrounding
areas. In order to cover all important aspects, the
project provided material, psychological, social and
medical assistance for several hunderds of
beneficiaries - domicile population, refugees and
internally displaced persons. Social events were
organized, field visits for monasteries, medical
lectures and counseling, as well as free services of
assistance at home, free transport to medical
institutions etc. Financial support to this project
was given by ECHO and Act International, through
International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC).
Within this project, an integrative club for the
elderly 'Paperclip' was started. The Club remained
open after the project, and it is still being run by
NSHC. |
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Home Care and Help in a House for the Elderly in Novi Sad |
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This
humanitarian and development project was implemented
during 2002, aiming at old, socially and medicaly
vulnerable elderly people in need for this kind of
assistance. Within medical assistance, immobile and
semi-mobile elderly people were provided with
doctors' home visits and with provision of basic
medical services. There were also various services
provided in keeping the household, running errands,
etc. A total of 615 beneficiaries were encompassed
with this project, with financial support from
German organizations Renovabis and Malteser. |
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NOVI SAD
HUMANITARIAN CENTER 2004 - 2007 |
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