The conference „Professional Services for Elderly Persons in Georgia and Bosnia-Herzegovina“ was held on December 12, 2023 at the Sheraton Grand Hotel Tbilisi Metekhi Palace. The conference was organized in the frame of the project "House of Support - Services for a Dignified Life of Elderly in Georgia and Bosnia-Herzegovina". The project is funded by the Austrian Development Cooperation and was implemented in the period 2020 – 2023 by Hilfswerk International and IDP Women Association “Consent” in partnership with the Georgian Association of Social Workers and the Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia as well as the organization HAJDE in BiH.
The aim of the conference was to inform the public and stakeholders about the achievements of the project and to raise awareness for important issues related to services for elderly persons.
Within the project, two new mobile care service providers (“Houses of Support”) were registered in Georgia and BiH, covering 2 municipalities in Georgia (Gori, Dmanisi) and 8 municipalities of Sarajevo Canton / Republika Srpska in BiH. Over the last 30 months, multi-disciplinary teams of well-trained nurses, caretakers, doctors and social workers have been rendering professional and integrated nursing and medical care, household support and psycho-social services to a total of more than 200 elderly persons in need of care in their homes.
In addition, more than 160 active older persons have attended physical, cultural and social activities in three Healthy Ageing Centers developed and run by IDP Women Association “Consent” in the cities of Gori, Dmanisi and Kazreti. Thanks to the well-established cooperation with all local municipalities, the newly introduced National program of Homecare in Georgia as well as the support of the Austrian Development Cooperation, Mobile Care and Healthy Ageing services will be continued and further expanded to other municipalities of both countries as of 2024.
Conference participants discussed the importance of cooperation between local and central governments in the direction of financing home care and other support services rendered by professional providers. The conversation also touched upon the national strategies and action plans related to the elderly issues and the strengthening of the rights of the elderly persons, as well as the challenges that the representatives of the older generation face in the process of receiving the existing services.
Experts from various fields, as well as the representatives from the state agencies, non-governmental organizations and civil sector attended the event.
