Development of the structures of home care in B&H, Serbia&Montenegro 2007-2010

Partners: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) and Deutscher Caritas Verband (DCV).

Beneficiaries: The project has 470 permanent and 139 temporary users that are elderly and/or ill persons of poor financial ability that do not have closer relatives and need care.

Duration of the project: 3 years, 2007-2010

Project goals: Development of structures of home care of elderly and ill persons in B&H and Serbia with the aim of improvement of health and life situation of this category of population and integration of the achievement of the project in the system of the health and social care through:

• Promotion of awareness on needs of elderly and ill persons
• Provision of necessary services of care and social support to those in need
• Activation of capacities of persons, supporting their independence and recruitment of volunteers;
• Counseling, information and instructions and relief from burden and support to family members that provide care
• Giving examples to families, municipalities and society and promotion of equality of users through supporting self-support and social solidarity;

Form of action: Regular provision of medical care services to the defined group of users by experts and assistance in homes by housewives volunteers; maintenance of education of project staff, family members, users and volunteers, cooperation with governmental institutions in the field of social and health care;

Total project value: 880.123,50 KM / 450.000 €

Report for 2008

The project of development of the home care structures in B&H and SCG 2007-2010 is financed by the German Government and the German Caritas and it represents the second phase of the 9-year program of development of the home care structure.

The project is being conducted on the entire territory of B&H through diocesan Caritas organizations (Banja Luka, Sarajevo and Mostar – Duvno and Trebinje – Mrkan) and five locations: Teslić, Brod, Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Mostar. The project employs 15 persons: 10 home care providers (medical nurses, caretakers, housekeepers) 4 coordinators and 1 financial officer. Beside regular services of home care during 2008, the following activities were conducted:

Education of staff on national and diocesan level

• 17.-19.02.2009, Sarajevo- Caritas BC BIH, results of external evaluation implemented in October 2008 were presented and on this base, planning for improvement in the project was maid.
• 30.03. - 02.04.2009, Sarajevo- Caritas BC BIH training of nurses/multipliers
• 04. - 06.05.2009- Belgrade, DCV training in teambuilding.
• 20.-25.07.2009- DCV, Freiburg- study visit to DCVs' headquarter, home care program and discussion on evaluation results (workshop).
• 05.-08.10.2009- Belgrade -training in lobbing with facilitation of Mrs. Ingeburg Barden-DCV
• 16.-18.10.2009- Mostar, Caritas BC B&H- national training/meeting of volunteers.
• 19.-23.10.2009- Sliema, Malta- UNDESA/UNFPA/INIA international training program on: “Policy formulation, planning, implementation and monitoring of Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing”.
• 03.12.2009- Mostar, Strategically planning of Caritas BC B&H. Home care program is recognized as strategic priority and primal way of elderly care.
• Caritas Mostar – round table with theme: “Mental illness in the family” where employees, family members and volunteers from the project were present. Activity was financed by cantonal Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection.

• 13.02.2009.,Banja Luka- Caritas Banja Luka, meeting with potential volunteers
• 25.02.2009., Banja Luka- Caritas Banja Luka, volunteers introduced to their work in the project
• 25.-26.06.2009, Banja Luka, -Caritas BK BIH- evaluation and planning workshop for the project volunteers.
• 16.-18.10.2009- Mostar, Caritas BC B&H- national training/meeting of volunteers.
• 05.12.2009- Sarajevo, Caritas Sarajevo organized meeting of volunteers, staff and coordinators on the occasion of Volunteers Day..
• 05.12.2009- Mostar, Caritas Mostar organized meeting of volunteers, staff and coordinators on the occasion of Volunteers Day..
• 09.12.2009. Banja Luka- as activity for the International Volunteers Day meeting with project staff and volunteers were held

Meetings of coordination and consultations

• 20.02.2009, Sarajevo- meting of consultations between Mr. Gernot Krauss and national coordinator. Main theme was results of the evaluation workshop and their implementation in the future.
• 02.04.2009, Sarajevo- project coordinators meting. Detailed yearly planning was made and roles and responsibilities shared.

Other

Additional funds for volunteer engagement were ensured.

Cooperation with governmental and other institutions

Due to the administrative organisation of the state cooperation with government institutions is going very slow progress is still visible.
In the past year state institutions supported program with 150.500 KM and in the next year signing of the official Memorandum of Understanding with relevant institutions is expected.
Centre for Social Work in Banja Luka is co-financing care for 10 beneficiaries.

Cooperation with the governmental and other institutions
Although, because of the administrative organization of the state, very slow, the cooperation with governmental institutions is still reaching progress. Relevant institutions were familiarized with the project with moral support while there were no major improvements in segment of co-financing or integration of home care in the health care system. Caritas BK BIH was awarded with 10.000 KM from the Ministry of Civil Affairs that was used for purchase of a small medical material and workshops for volunteers. Caritas Banja Luka has a good cooperation with the Centre of Social Care Banja Luka with realization of partial co – financing for 10 beneficiaries in the amount of 2,97 KM In 2008, Caritas Mostar received 18.000 KM donations from different government institutions.
A very good cooperation for recruitment of volunteers was realized with the church and parishes, Office of youth pastoral/Youth Pastoral Office and Catholic theology school. Through the action Week of solidarity with Church and Croats in B&H and due to results achieved, the project received 61.000 KM Project collaborates with a great deal of NGOs active in the field of solving the issues of elderly and ill persons.

Achieved results in 2008

• 470 permanent and 143 temporary beneficiaries regularly received the service of home care;
• 14.105 visits and 77.072 services provided
• 9 educations  events for project staff and volunteers was held
• 38 volunteers worked on the project for 2.181 hours
• 5 volunteer’s actions organized
• 150.500 KM ensured from the government institutions for the project continuation

Plans for the next year

• Continuation of working on State Social Inclusion Strategy
• Meetings and educations on international level
• Lobbing, advocacy and cooperation with government-all levels
• Constant cooperation with other NGOs through different networks
• New project proposal making and submitting to possible donors ( international/local, governmental/NGO)
• Activities with volunteers: educations, study visits, summer schools, meetings, actions
• Media actions