October 5, 2023
News
Caritas Czech Republic has taken another step towards improving social services by launching a new initiative aimed at improving the home care landscape in Moldova. The new project, launched in partnership with Homecare Association, aspires to improve the quality and sustainability of social services and home care for vulnerable people.
Two new services will be created: Intergenerational Clubs and Occupational Therapy
The new project, funded by the Czech Development Agency, aims to improve the quality and sustainability of social services in Moldova and to bring together social service partners.
"We will focus on the creation and delivery of two new social services. In addition, we will also train professionals working in social care to improve their work skills and support the authorities to develop better procedures and policies for the social services sector in the country,“ explained Mihai Nani, country director at Caritas Czech Republic in Moldova.
The innovation of the project is the development of two new core services: Intergenerational Clubs and Occupational Therapy.
- Inter-generational groups are communities that bring together people from different generations, such as children, teenagers, adults and elderly people, to interact, learn and collaborate. These groups will provide opportunities for sharing experiences, knowledge and resources between different generations.
- Occupational therapy focuses on helping people regain or maintain their independence and ability to carry out routine daily This therapy is for people of all ages who have physical, emotional or cognitive difficulties that limit their ability to carry out everyday tasks.
These new services will bring joy and support to communities in different parts of Moldova and will be introduced in five medical-social care centres in Moldova.
Qualitative social services need well-trained professionals
Caritas Czech Republic already started with training activities for home care workers. "If we want to have quality social services for all, it is important to have well-trained people. A well-trained professional will help an organisation to be financially sustainable, and this will enable the organisation to continue to support the communities it serves," says Mariana Novac, representative of Caritas Czech Republic in Moldova.
In September, 15 home care workers took part in a complex training programme on occupational therapy service. The aim of the programme was to train the home care staff to help the elderly regain their psychological, physical and social independence.
During the trainings, participants learned how to involve the elderly in different activities and how older people should mobilise their energy to live life to the full.
Another series of trainings focused on important key topics for social service workers from 10 care centres. The staff learned how to provide qualitative care and what skills need to be developed in this area. Training participants discovered the ethical principles that guide work in home care, learned how to identify symptoms and contributing factors to burnout, what stress management techniques can be applied and why it is important to set boundaries in relationships with beneficiaries and co-workers.
With this recently launched project, Caritas Czech Republic reconfirms its commitment to improving the health and social care system in the Republic of Moldova.
Cartas Czech Republic works in Moldova since 2004 and had implemented more then 34 development cooperation projects in the areas of home care and social assistance, small enterprise, civil society development, agriculture, inclusion and humanitarian aid.
