September 15, 2022
News
Natalia is a nurse in one of the home care centres that Caritas Czech Republic opened in Moldova. She regularly visits elderly and disadvantaged people, providing them with health check-ups, but also talking to them so they do not feel alone. In the interview, she talks abour her experience and the needs of Moldovan seniors.
In Moldova, the need to develop social services for the elderly is all the more acute as the number of elderly people is steadily increasing. Caritas Czech Republic has opened 11 home care centers in the country to provide help to the lonely seniors. For the last two years, Natalia Surchicean has been working as a nurse in one of the centres we opened in Carbuna, Ialoveni region. She says it is not an easy job, but she feels it is her calling and that she finds it fulfilling to help people in need.
What are the needs of the people you visit and support?
More than anything, these people need socialization and connection. They are mostly lonely people, and this makes them feel sad and unhealthy, even if they don't have serious health problems. That’s why I try to be empathetic and listen to every life story shared with me during home visits.
Why do you think that the number of people in Moldova in need of social and health care is increasing every year?
The phenomenon of migration has become a habit for Moldova. Unfortunately, there is no family in Moldova that does not have someone who has gone abroad. People leave Moldova and do not come back. They return home only for short vacation of 1-2 weeks. The village of Carbuna is no exception. The young are abroad and the old people are left alone here. Because of this, the elderly and lonely people who cannot manage without assistance suffer the most.
These people receive help from the employees of the home care centre like you. What support do you provide for the lonely seniors?
At the centre we provide various services, from trivial procedures such as measuring body temperature, medical dressings to online consultations with specialist doctors. If necessary, we also give a hand around the house. In most cases, however, the most requested service is a chat. The people we support often live alone and talk to us like old friends. In moments like these, we give up our professional role, put on the role of friend and are there for them.
Does the centre in Carbuna have regular working hours during which the patients can reach you?
I want to tell you that we don't support people based on our working hours. You cannot not answer the phone, especially if you live in a village where everyone knows each other. I always try to help and answer the phones, knowing that I may be the only person around who can help these people at any given time. It's a constant emotion of accomplishment that I relive when I help.
How many people in need does the home care centre in Carbuna support?
We are currently taking care of 6 people who we visit 10 times a month. In total, the centre has 113 people in evidence who need medical and social assistance and support. But we never limit the number of visits to just those registered in the programme.
What changes do you notice in these people at the end of the support programme?
First of all, we notice a change in their state of mind. They are not so sad anymore. They have joy in their eyes. It is hard to talk about emotions. You have to feel them, with all your heart. The joy of a nurse is when she offers and gives hope, that is when she heals the hearts of people in need. With this thought I wake up every morning, and in the evening, I run through my mind the names of those I have helped who no longer feel alone. They are and will be part of the community. And the nurses serve as a bridge between them.
After many years of working, you got to the next stage of your life - retirement. Why did you decide to continue working?
I have always followed the motto: "Helping someone in need is the first sign of civilization". Even after 41 years working in the medical field, when I thought I had already exhausted all the ways I could help my fellow citizens, I was offered a job as a medical social worker at the centre in Carbuna. For 2 years I have been, according to the people, "the most wanted guest" when I visit them at home.
