Social Assistance and caregiver’s

FOUNDATIOM FOR ELDERLY CARE (FEC) started this project in January 1999, financed by Stichting Roemenie Committees – Belgium and “Something for Romania” – England, in the amount of 50,000.00 USD . To ensure continuity of care and social services at home, in 2000-2004 we obtained financing in the amount of 12,000.00 USD and 160,000.00 Euros from HealthNet International – Netherlands. From this funding we were able to develop not only services in Cluj-Napoca, but also within Cluj County, opening branches in three cities (Huedin, Turda, Dej) and 7 rural communities. To provide high quality services, we have qualified through professional classes, 30 nurses, 6 physiotherapists, 15 social workers and 35 caregivers.

In 2002 we opened four branches in neighboring counties of Cluj County, as follows: in Timisoara (Timiș county), in Bistrița (county Bistrița-Năsăud) in Oradea (Bihor county) and Zalău (Sălaj). Each workstation had a multidisciplinary team consisting of: two nurses, two social workers, a physiotherapist, a nurse.

By offering these health and social services at home, in a familiar environment, we wanted to prove to the local authorities the need and importance to develop these services, especially since these services are at least three times less expensive than institutional care.

Between 2005-2014, we have concluded contracts for offering health and medical care services at home with the County Health Insurance Cluj for financing health fund and for social assistance at home, we obtained a grant under Law no. 34/1998, from Cluj-Napoca City Council. Social services and nursing home services were granted only in Cluj-Napoca.

In 2014, social assistance activities were carried out at home because of the subsidy granted by the City Council – Department of Social and Medical Assistance Cluj-Napoca, under Law no. 34/1998, in an amount of 236.000,00 lei. From the monthly subsidy, the offered services at home were: needs assessment, emotional support and counseling, mediation, support sanitary materials and cleaning materials.

In social work program at home, during 2014, 150 elderly people were cared per month, 15 people entered the program during 2014, replacing deaths, so the total was 165 elderly beneficiaries of social assistance, making 1961 visits. The caregivers cared in 2014 a total of 14 people, making 1185 visits.