The launch of a new international project “NGOs for better life of aged people in Baltic Sea region”

  • Posted on: 17 July 2017
  • By: Ksenia

A new international project “NGOs for better life of aged people in Baltic Sea region” developed and implemented by the Charitable Foundation “Health of Karelia” began its work in Poland. The overall objective of the project is promotion of best practices of working with older population and creation of a favorable climate for them in the 4 pilot regions – the Republic of Karelia (Russia), the North Karelia (Finland), the Latgale region (Latvia), the Glubokoye district (Belarus) as well as the Pomeranian voivodeship and the city of Gdańsk (Poland).

The main activities of the project include such event as - series of working seminars on various aspects of work with older people, a study trip to Finland and Norway for the experts, preparing a short movie about good practices in actions for aged people, printing a booklet with materials containing the project experience. More than 20 best practices for work with older people in different regions of the Baltic Sea will be presented and discussed. Also, within the framework of the project conditions for creating a territorial resource center for aged people on the basis of one of the non-profit organizations in the North-West of Russia will be prepared.

The target groups of the project are people meet in their everyday life and work with problems of aged people, workers of welfare service, medical service, government and self-administration, educational institutions and labour market institutions, NGOs as well as aged people above 50 years old.

The first event was held in Gdansk, and was dedicated to the situation in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland. Representatives of municipalities, a regional volunteer center, members of the City Council of Gdańsk, representatives of various NGOs presented the Polish experience in working with aged people to the participants. The experience in this field was presented by the main project partner from Poland - the Educational Association ”Common Knowledge” (TEWP). The project partners from Latvia, Belarus, Finland and Russia shared their experience on the topic, presenting the possibilities of their regions for the successful implementation of the project.

Project partners from the Republic of Karelia (Charitable Foundation “Health of Karelia”, the city center of social services “Istoki”, the public organization of pensioners “Severnyye kolokola”, and the Karelian branch of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation) offered their vision for the implementation of the project. The participants supported the idea of ​​preparing the conditions for the creation of a new center in Petrozavodsk and the creation of an informal network of cooperation consisting of representatives of social centers, educational institutions, researchers, practitioners working with older people from the Nordic countries, the North-West of Russia, Latvia, Poland and Belarus.

During the workshops and study tour, the following main (general and specific) topics have already been discussed and will be further considered: 

  • Ageing employees – Good age management
  • Social services for aged people - methods, problems, perspectives
  • Prevention of suicidal behavior among elderly people
  • “The psychologist at home": the provision of psychological assistance to physically challenged senior citizens and persons with disabilities
  • Veterans' clubs
  • Seniors' education as one of the alternatives how to increase the age when a person retires
  • Social inclusion of elderly people, their integration into society
  • Mobile home care service (“Mobile team”)

The next working seminar in the border region of Latvia (Latgalia) and Belarus (Braslav region and Glubokoye district) is scheduled for mid-October.