Department of social assistance to pensioners. Social assistance for older people

28.07.2019 Jurisprudence

Many people feel abandoned after retirement. They have no one to turn to for advice or help and for ordinary communication, even if they have relatives. It is for such people that they are created social services for pensioners. The format of such services is different in each locality - in some places all functions are performed by social security, and in others there are different institutions.

Social Security Department

Social security solves to a greater extent the everyday problems of socially vulnerable groups of the population. There they will advise you on all issues related to the calculation and payment of benefits, you can receive financial assistance in some cases, you can stand in line to receive a voucher to a sanatorium. Social security also provides, if necessary, the services of social workers who regularly come to the elderly person to help: they go to the store, do cleaning, help make necessary payments, accompany them to the hospital, etc.

Social Service Center

Centers social services(CSO) are engaged in organizing leisure activities for pensioners. In such centers, all kinds of interest groups are organized - this could be handicrafts, a choir, a health group, a theater group, and even computer literacy courses. Centers for pensioners host performances and concerts, tea parties, creative evenings, meetings with interesting and useful people etc. You can also get free tickets to concerts or museums, swimming pool passes, for example, and other discounted or free opportunities to occupy your free time. At each such center there is a nurse who can measure blood pressure, listen to health complaints and advise which specialist to contact.

Social taxi service

Such services have been created in large cities. They can work both under social security and under the Central Social Security Service, or they can even be an independent organization. This service provides regular or specially equipped cars for pensioners and disabled people. A taxi can be either completely free or at a discounted rate - for example, providing a 50 percent discount on the cost of a regular taxi.

In every locality there is a public organization such as the Council of War and Labor Veterans. The Veterans Council also organizes leisure time - offers tickets to events, arranges meetings and tea parties, congratulates veterans on holidays - in a word, it does everything to ensure that a person does not feel lonely.

Stationary and semi-permanent complex centers

Such social centers for pensioners and disabled people offer medical care on a day- or 24-hour basis. In day care departments old man You can receive completely free of charge:

good nutrition;
medical service;
consultations on benefits and social security;
communication;
psychological help.

There are also 24-hour centers where a pensioner can live for a couple of weeks or a month.

At the comprehensive center you can get help:

a social worker who will periodically come to the pensioner’s home and help around the house;
a medical worker - for example, a nurse can come to your home to give injections;
visiting nurse;
psychologist;
lawyer.

The main thing that social services provide for pensioners is the opportunity for an elderly person to seek help and communication and not feel lonely and abandoned.

In the field of charity, they don’t often help older people, but remember them only on major holidays. A couple of times a year, people bring gifts to old people and forget about them for a long time. However, the main thing is not taken into account - older people need not so much material assistance, but attention, care and communication.

Where can you help lonely old people?

At the initial stage of charity, it is worth deciding on the place where assistance will be provided. There are several options.

Nursing home

People end up in this institution when close relatives are unable to care for an elderly person. There are other reasons: moving to another city, lack of living space, etc. What does life in a state boarding house mean? Basically it's a daily routine, but only with a roof over your head, food and a robe.

Finding themselves in such a place, old people simply cease to be significant to the world around them. They live alone in some place remote from civilization, where relatives rarely come and there is so little attention. In the territory Russian Federation There are 2 thousand nursing homes in the region, in which over 10 thousand lonely old people are supported by the state.

Most often, elderly people in boarding homes face the following problem:

Loneliness and lack of attention.
No personal space.
A lot of free time.
Lack of classes.

If walking residents can go to the store or take a walk in the park, then those with limited mobility can only be content with watching TV or listening to the radio. Not everyone in the ward has them. The only visitors are the attendants sanitary worker, who is most often silent and constantly pushes.

In nursing homes, they are trying in every possible way to organize leisure time and create conditions for a comfortable pastime. For example, clubs are created and hobbies and interests are encouraged. But the financial capabilities of older people are limited. They are forced to give almost their entire pension to the boarding school, but only a quarter remains. With this amount it is difficult to even buy yourself a sweet for tea. In most cases, pensioners are forced to give the remaining money to service personnel, who are often asked to go to the store or change diapers.

Providing assistance at home

Elderly people living in their own homes often need medical care and help with housework. In addition, they will be happy with any attention and communication. But there are a number of difficulties with this type of charity:

It is difficult to establish contact with an old man and find out his place of residence. According to the law on the anonymity of personal data, no service will provide this information.
After a volunteer’s visit, many, due to old age, may think that some item or money has gone missing.
Suddenly, during communication, the old man becomes ill.
The old man's relatives may be wary of strangers. These suspicions are justified, as cases of fraud have become more frequent recently.

Thus, before a charity visit, you should prepare for various cases, since the volunteer is absolutely not protected in such situations. Organizing ongoing assistance is a rather complex process. It is recommended to contact social institutions so that they can inform you of the matter and give you a special volunteer ID. The Red Cross is the most popular organization of its kind, which has great experience work in this field of activity.

The main needs of the elderly

First of all, the following factors are important for the elderly:

Respect.
Care.
Personal space.
Creative activity.

In nursing homes, the problem of indifference to the outside world and people is very common. In some cases, a person loses his identity. The elderly do not care what they do or how they will be treated.

The service staff often neglects the elderly, as they need to be looked after every day, cleaned, endured whims and much more. Usually 3 nurses take care of 50 bedridden people, who are very tired. They are reluctant to communicate and do not pay due attention to the elderly. Consequently, withdrawal and loss of motivation occur. To prevent this from happening, the factors listed above should be given to grandparents.

The most important parameter is creative employment. It is needed for older people to express themselves and maintain brain functionality. After many years of idleness, most cannot think rationally and do certain things. There are foundations that order specialists to conduct creative activities. At first, older people may resist, but after some time they begin to create and learn new knowledge. A number of such works can be found at exhibitions.

Accommodations

Residents in nursing homes are not in the best better conditions. Big percentage boarding schools are recognized as unsafe. The design does not in any way resemble a comfortable environment. Several neighbors in the ward, torn walls, poorly functioning components - all this is far from comfort. Consequently, even the slightest attention to the elderly brings them real joy and happiness.

In addition, you can financially help older people who live alone. They often experience everyday problems. The main ones are:

Clearing the yard of snow.
Access to water.
Cleaning the house or area.

How can you help?

For maximum effect, you should join experienced organizations. They will save you from unnecessary hassle and tell you how not to harm the elderly. Initially, you can try to help a neighbor or friend.

Social patronage of older people may include the following actions:

Caring for an elderly person on a regular basis, and not just on holidays. Visiting, singing songs, bringing sweets and cheering up - all this will help. You can also start writing letters to older people to make people feel needed.
Bring essentials: medicines, food or household supplies. Before arriving, it’s better to call and ask what you need first.
Help prepare for winter: insulate the house, collect firewood, etc.
If you can’t travel, you need to deliver parcels. In many remote areas, grandparents are on the verge of poverty.
Provide up-to-date information to social security authorities.
Organize accompanying events. For example, a walk to the hospital, church or cemetery.
Help you understand the technology. For example, in use mobile phone or household appliances.
Donate cash for the needs of the fund.

Where to go?

Regular support for older people is provided by various foundations, which you can contact and offer your help. Finding them won't be difficult. We list the main ones:

"Old age is a joy."
"Sofia".
"Good deed"
"Union of Generations".

These funds spend funds on programs of material and non-material assistance. In addition, you can contact volunteer camps to directly take part in improving the living conditions of the elderly or register for guardianship.

Much has been done in Moscow to ensure accessibility social services and, especially, for the development of a network of social service centers (SSC), which are very popular among pensioners. Work on their creation began in 1989. As of the beginning of 1996, 58 social service centers had been created in Moscow. As a result of the implementation of the Program for the Development of Social Service Centers (1996-1997), the number of centers almost doubled. Currently, 113 social service centers and 9 branches have been created in the city.
Social service centers play a huge role in the lives of pensioners, having in their structure various social assistance services: social assistance departments at home, day care departments, urgent social care departments
assistance, department of specialized care at home, department of social and medical care at home, etc.
The most numerous in the structure of the CSO are the departments of social services at home. They provide social services to single people and elderly couples with limited self-care capabilities. The main social services provided at home include: catering and home delivery of food; assistance in purchasing medicines and essential goods; assistance in obtaining medical care and escort to medical institutions, assistance in maintaining living conditions in accordance with sanitary and hygienic requirements; assistance in the provision of other social services (housing repairs, payment for housing and utilities, paperwork, funeral services). This form of service makes it possible to maximally prolong the stay of citizens in their familiar home environment, maintain their vitality, protect, if necessary, their rights and legitimate interests, and also reduce the need for boarding homes. Currently, 996 such branches have been created, serving 118.8 thousand people.
More than 14.5 thousand people permanently live in inpatient institutions with full state support.
Today, 32 inpatient institutions operate in the social protection system of the Moscow population. For residents, temporary (up to 6 months) and permanent forms of stay are used (at the request of the pensioner). All listed institutions are profiled taking into account the physical, mental state of health, age and social activity resident citizens. Pensioners and disabled people living in inpatient institutions receive full social, medical, psychological, legal assistance and support. More than 70 percent of wards living in boarding homes are on bed rest.
Muscovites gave the new species a positive assessment social institutions- residential special houses for single pensioners and disabled people, as well as married couples retirement age, with a complex of social services, 24-hour control rooms and medical centers. 3 houses with 382 apartments were built.
Residential social houses are a prototype of boarding houses of the future, which provide comfortable and decent living conditions, everything for a quiet life and active longevity of veterans.
For the purpose of additional social support for single elderly citizens, the Mossotsgarantiya service has been created and is functioning, which pays monthly compensation to 2.5 thousand single citizens who bequeathed their housing to the city.
In the system of social protection bodies there are 11 institutions of social assistance to homeless people.
In general, the existing network of inpatient institutions of the Committee satisfies the need for this type of medical and social assistance to the disabled population. There is a necessary reserve of free places, there is no waiting list.
The Committee for Social Protection of the Moscow Population and the State Unitary Enterprise of the Moscow Government "Moscow Social Guarantee" (Mossotsgarantiya) have carried out some work to conclude lifelong maintenance agreements with dependents with single elderly citizens and disabled people in exchange for the voluntary transfer of living space into the ownership of the city of Moscow. This made it possible to provide them with additional social support and protection from criminal attacks.
Currently, over 1,700 such agreements have been concluded.
In exchange for the voluntary transfer of housing to the city for the specified category of Muscovites, monetary compensation is paid, different kinds social and consumer services. In December 1995, the first special residential building for single pensioners and disabled people, single married couples of retirement age was put into operation with 208 apartments with a complex of social services, a 24-hour control room and medical centers. More than two hundred pensioners currently live in the house. In October 1997, two special buildings in Mitino with 87 apartments each were handed over for occupancy. Currently, the program continues to operate successfully.