September 26, 2013 Moldova

Two more home care centers opened in Moldova

Caritas Czech Republic in cooperation with Association Home Care provides long-term home care services in Moldova. Two new centers of home care services recently opened in the north of the country, in the city of Balti and in the municipality of Taul.

Moldova is coping with afflictions also faced by other European countries. One of them is an aging population, which leads to a decline in productivity. These and other demographic changes made the local government focus more on possibilities of providing health and social services of home care. People who rely on the help of others often have limited options in using health care. In response, a few years ago Caritas Czech Republic together with Association Home Care made the first crucial steps towards changing the situation.

Their aim was and still is to elevate the quality of health services and their availability for average Moldovan citizens. Both organizations jointly seek to change all levels of the cycle, from law modifications to the services provided to Moldovans themselves. Since 2007 they succeeded in opening three day care centers: Hippokrates center in the Dorockaia municipality, Avicena center in south-Moldovan city Cahul and Estera center in Chisinau.

In April 2013, the Czech Development Agency supported the development of home care services in northern Moldova. That year, two new centers were inaugurated – Rebeka in Balti and Saint Juliana in Taul. The opening ceremony of these new centers was attended by the Ambassador of the Czech Republic in Moldova, Mr. Jaromír Kvapil, Deputy Minister of Labour, Social Care and Family, Mrs. Ruxanda Glavan, Deputy Mayor of Balti, Mr. Octavian Mahu, representative of Caritas Czech Republic, Erica Ceka, director of Association HomeCare, Tamara Adasan, representative of Ministry of Health's Primary Health Care Department, Tatiana Zatic, Mayor of municipality of Taul, Mitrica Andronic and local pop, Lucian Serdesniuc.

The Rebeka and Saint Juliana centers offer a wide range of health and rehabilitation services to mobile or transport capable clients including ensuring personal hygiene. However, the majority of clients are attended by nurses at home. Educational activities and certified training for roughly 300 nurses, social assistants, state employees and members of NGOs which operate in the field of health and social care are planned for the upcoming months.

Photographs: Home care center St. Rebeca in the city of Balti