Communities in Albania
“Old is Gold”
DOCUMENT AUTHOR: Mr. Leonardo Pjetri
GOOD PRACTICE TITLE: “Old is Gold”
KIND OF PRACTICE: Community life (social – medical centre for elderly people)
PLACE: Shkoder, Albania
CONTEXT, FIELD OF INTERVENTION:
Shkodra is a city in the North of Albania with a highly diverse population which acts as an economic and social magnet for the surrounding mountainous areas. Traffic, water, and electricity infrastructure, as well as employment opportunities and educational opportunities, have historically been sparse in the surrounding areas. The social and economic changes that have taken place in Albania during the last couple of decades have deeply affected the institution of“ family” and the related relationships. Today, many elderly people live alone while this was extremely rare just twenty eight years ago.
The reasons are multifold ranging from children who have emigrated abroad or unable to support the parents to complete absence of close relatives. As a result, many elderly live alone and isolated, feeling ignored and useless.
The Centre “OLD is GOLD” aims to offer a place for them to interact at the social level, learn and contribute to the community enhancing independence and a sense of self-worth among the elderly
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a) Enhancing the social life of the target group by providing a safe environment for them to meet and socialize in a context that is positive and conducive to a healthier and more fulfilling life.
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b) Improving the quality of life for the above target group by providing “supported living services” in their homes and facilitating their access to public services such as infrastructure and social support systems.
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c) Advocacy in order to raise awareness for the major problems of this target group. The center provides basic healthcare services for the excluded and marginalised elderly through basic checkups, provision of medicines, educational workshops on self-care and life skills (e.g., how to manage their health, nutrition, occupational therapy, how to prevent a cough, self-care when affected by seasonal viruses, etc.
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d) Providing basic healthcare for 80 neglected elderly people who live alone in Shkodra region.
PERIOD:
2017 ongoing
POPULATION, PARTICIPANTS:
Participants/beneficiaries of our interventions are 80 - 100 neglected elderly people who live alone and isolated. On a daily basis, we are frequented by an average of 80 elderly, most attend the centre every single day. Staff members engaged are two social workers, one doctor and psychologist.
COORDINATORS:
The Old is Gold center is coordinated by the “Albanian Organization of the Order of Malta” with the support of “Global fund for forgotten people” agency
METHODOLOGY (HOW THE PRACTICE WORKS):
Empowering elderly people: Interacting at the social level, learn and contribute to the community enhancing independence and a sense of self-worth among the elderly. Challenging: active participation of elderly people (leaders) in project activities such as field trips, publicity campaigns, health education meetings, and meetings with young volunteers (transferable skills).
PARTICIPATORY PROCESS:
In 2017, Albanian Organization of the Order of Malta with the support of the “Fund for Forgotten People” has launched the project “Old is Gold”. The center “Old is Gold” consisted in the establishment of a support daily centre for marginalized elderly, regardless of gender, such as those alone and/or poor and who have no other source of support.
Main services offered are:
a. raise awareness towards the problems/challenges of elderly people,
b. basic health care,
c. promotion of social rights and protection of social welfare of elderly people,
d. elderly people have the possibility for a coffee or a tea with a minimal price, to read daily newspaper and to play cards, dominos or chess for free.
The communitarian centre for elderly is opened everyday from 8:00a.m to 22:00p.m, during the day elderly people have the opportunity to meet and to be assisted by our social workers, which are responsible for the coordination and organization of the Communitarian Center. They provide psychological support and consulting to the elderly, they work with individual appointments groups and communities.
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a) Active participation is open to all elderly people, especially to those who live alone and are neglected.
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b) As a result of our long experience with this target group we identified 80 persons, aged 65 up. A careful selection of beneficiaries from a broad range of social, religion and ethnic backgrounds is done by our staff members.
TIME TO BE SUCCESFUL (HOW MANY TIME THE PRACTICE TAKE TO ACHIEVE THEIR OBJECTIVES):
This is the second year of this project, during the first year we had 80-100 elderly/day. Our program/services were really fantastic because we had more beneficiaries than we expected.
VALIDITY (IF THE PARTICIPANTS THINK THAT THE PRACTICE RESOLVED THE PROBLEMATIC):
This program is designed to improve the quality of life for the above target not to solve all their problems.
The target group knows very well that Malteser Albania through this program tries to alleviate their situation.
It is fundamental government intervention with long – term policies.
IMPACT:
After first year of the project: Elderly people from our region have the willing to participate in community action.
Young Malteser volunteers are happy to support community action once they understand they are socially aware.
National and local government even they are part of our sensitive campaigns, no financial support!!!
INNOVATION:
The main innovation is active involvement of all actors/stakeholders involved in this program. The core is active participation of elderly people.
RESOURCES OR CONDITIONS NEEDED FOR THE PRACTICE:
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1. Ensuring continuity of the program.
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2. Advocacy through dissemination materials, stakeholder focus group meetings.
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3. Active involvement of the public institutions.
LIMITATIONS:
This program could not be accomplished only by Malteser Albania, it required somehow the involvement Local Government (Shkodra Municipality) The program is costly and could not be funded only by Malteser Albania alone
LEARNED LESSONS: :
Living in a healthy community can socialise, and improve the behaviour of marginalised groups.
SUSTAINABILITY:
The initiative is highly sustainable as long as there is funding. Positive results achieved during the first year of the project, good collaboration with the target group make us enthusiast for continuity of this program for 2018 – 2019. We are looking into whether we would benefit from any EU funding in the future.
REPLICABILITY:
Replicability of this programme is dependent on funding and well-educated staff; with these given, the programme should be able to be replicated anywhere.
We’re replicating it next year in another region of Albania in Lezha. This project will be in close cooperation with Municipality of Lezha.
CONCLUSION:
The Old is Gold project is a community programme providing marginalised elderly with a caring second home, improving their social situation by employing a holistic intervention approach with a large focus on social stability. During 2017-2018(ongoing) more than 100-elderly people have been part of our social-medical program.
CONTACT (PRACTICES AUTHOR AND ORGANIZATION):
Malteser Albania Rr. Ludovik Saraci Shkoder 4001, Albania
Tel. 355692080207
E-mail: info@malteser.al