The most in demand and most commonly provided, but not accessible municipal service ‘’home care’’ and the growing demand for it by the elderly has been the main challenge of the project “Social Inclusion of Seniors” (No. LLI-341) or Aging in Comfort. The aim of the project was to improve the quality of home care social services in 4 municipalities in Latgale and 2 municipalities in Lithuania by developing social service mobile teams or professional caregiver teams, acquiring various new specialized equipment for mobile teams and activating self-help activities for single seniors.

The project was implemented between May 2018 and November 2019, and was led by the Association Euroregion “Land of Lakes”. The most significant result of the project is the acquisition of 4 specialized vehicles for home care, which, since autumn 2019, have led mobile brigade specialists on their way to lone, health-affected seniors in remote areas of Rezekne, Daugavpils and Utena and Motelai districts. Three of the cars are equipped with 2 wheelchair spaces at the same time and stretchers, while the car purchased by Daugavpils Municipality offers shower and laundry facilities. Elderly people can expect more affordable home care services in the future, while mobile brigade specialists can serve more clients in less time.

The 5 municipalities involved in the Aging in Comfort project have also purchased specialized equipment to help mobile team caregivers provide better quality home care and a variety of medical treatments. Caregivers already daily successfully use the washing equipment – armchairs, backs, mattresses and mattresses for semi-physically of fully disabled people, sleeping belts and support cushions, mobility aids – different types of wheelchairs, wheelchairs, , health devices, personal hygiene devices such as for hair, beard, nail care and other.

In total, 40 mobile team caregivers and specialists from Latvian and Lithuanian municipal social services participated in the Aging in Comfort training project on elderly care at home. Caregivers enhanced their understanding of the importance of care, senior health issues and self-care measures, the basics of geriatrics, and professional ethics in the event of client death. Training topics and materials are compiled into a handbook for mobile home care staff to be used in day-to-day work with clients. 200 copies of the handbook have been published in Latvian and Lithuanian and it is also available in the e-version on the project partner websites.

The project team of 10 people also went on an experience exchange trip to Borlange, Sweden, where they learned about the Swedish approach to providing home care services for the elderly. It has had significant experience of values in social care in the Nordic countries, financial and human resources in organizing it, dignified aging in the comfort of any family or single senior home. The Aging in Comfort project is aimed at 45,000 elderly people in the Latvian-Lithuanian border region, for whom the achievements of the project will help to improve the quality of life in old age.

 

L.Upeniece
Project coordinator