History of FEC

FUNDAȚIA PENTRU ÎNGRIJIREA VÂRSTNICULUI (FIV)

Founded in March 1998, the Foundation for Elderly Care (FEC) is a non-governmental, non-profit, apolitical organization with no religious affiliation, whose main purpose is to address complex medical, psychological and social issues affecting the elderly. The foundation was established with the generous support of the Open Society Institute New York, the Open Society Foundation Romania, as well as other organizations and individuals from both Romania and abroad.

Initially, the organization operated under the name "MĂNĂȘTUR COMMUNITY CENTER", which provided services to the elderly population of the Mănăștur neighborhood through the Foundation for Elderly Care (FEC), and to young people through activities offered by the Romanian Association for Health Education (RAHE).

OBJECTIVES of the Mănăștur Community Center

A) Services for the Elderly, provided through two projects:

Day Center for the Elderly:
Established in March 1998, operating on the ground floor of Kindergarden no. 9, 15 Mehedinți Street, Mănăștur neighborhood, covering an area of 200 sqm.
Services provided: recreational activities, medical and nursing consultations, health education activities, psychological assessment, medical/rehabilitation gymnastics, occupational therapy and social services.
Medical equipment rental: metal crutches, fixed and wheeled metal walking frames, anti-decubitus mattresses, wheelchairs, hospital-type beds, commode chairs, aerosol devices, and more.

Home Care Services:
Project started in January 1999, funded by Stichting Roemenie Comité – Belgium and Something For Romania – Scotland.
Services provided: monitoring vital signs, injectable and IV treatments, wound care, pressure ulcer care, stoma and urinary catheter management, therapeutic interventions to prevent pressure ulcers and pulmonary complications, passive feeding, and collection of biological samples for laboratory analysis.

Multidisciplinary team: 1 coordinating nurse, 10 nurses, 3 physiotherapists, 3 caregivers, 1 speech therapist, and 2 family doctors.

On May 15, 1999, palliative home care services were launched – a project carried out in collaboration with the Oncology Institute of Cluj-Napoca and the HOSPICE "Casa Speranței" Study Center in Brașov.

B) Services for Youth: Project carried out by 2 psychologists and 10 students from the Faculty of Psychology, including the following activities:

· Activities for children and adolescents:

- Improving communication skills

- Providing information on nutrition, smoking, alcohol, HIV/AIDS, sexuality, environmental protection, and conflict resolution

• Activities for parents:

- Improving parent-child relationships

- Promoting attitudes related to health education

• Activities for educators:

- Acquiring modern teaching methods

- Providing information on nutrition, smoking, alcohol and drug use, sexuality, HIV/AIDS, environmental protection

- Preventing substance abuse and juvenile delinquency

From 2000 onward, FEC continued projects exclusively for the elderly, relocating youth services to another location.

Between 2000 and 2005, FEC received financial support from HealthNet International (Netherlands) and Harris Health Services Hungary to continue its projects, including:

• Day Care Center for the Elderly – ongoing
• Home Medical Care in Cluj-Napoca – ongoing
• Opening Home Care Service Points in:
• Timișoara – from January 2001
• Huedin, Turda, Câmpia Turzii, and seven rural localities in Cluj County (Moldovenești, Câțcău, Almașu, Recea Cristur, Palatca, Mociu, Căianu Mare) – from 2002
• Oradea (Bihor County), Bistrița (Bistrița-Năsăud County), Zalău (Sălaj County) – from 2003
• Physical Rehabilitation Center – project started in June 2002, staffed with a specialist in rehabilitation, physical medicine and balneology, 1 physiotherapy/massage nurse, and 1 physiotherapist
• Reminiscence Center (CR) – project started in 2003 in collaboration with the European Reminiscence Network Project – Finland and Agora Association, Bucharest: services for elderly persons with memory disorders (dementia), mild and moderate forms, including memory stimulation sessions, psychological support, occupational therapy, caregiver training, and professional staff training for care of patients with memory disorders

Between 2006-2010, activities at the Reminiscence Center were temporarily suspended due to lack of funding. They were later resumed through the initiative of the FIV social worker, with the help of student interns and volunteers.

In May 2004, due to lack of financial resources, all FEC social assistance and home care service points outside Cluj-Napoca were closed, and the organization continued projects only within Cluj-Napoca.

From 2004 to the present, to ensure continuity of projects in Cluj-Napoca, FEC has received public funding:

• Social assistance and care at the Day Care Center and at home – subsidized under Law no. 34/1998, approved by the Cluj-Napoca Local Council – Directorate of Social and Medical Assistance
• Home Medical Care – funded by the Health Fund of the Cluj County Health Insurance House

From 2005 onward, the Physical Rehabilitation Center received funding from the Cluj County Health Insurance House.

In September 2009, FEC moved its headquarters to a rented space at 11 Tazlău Street, provided by the Kinderarden Budget Administration Center – Cluj-Napoca City Hall, covering 250 sqm. The space currently hosts three rooms for the Day Center for the Elderly, the Coordination Office for Home Medical Care, social assistance and home care services, and the Administrative Office.

In August 2010, FIV was forced to suspend rehabilitation services and close the center due to insufficient funding.

Since 2004, FEC has held an Operating License as a Home Medical Care Provider issued by the Ministry of Health, and since 2005, an Accreditation Certificate as a Social Assistance Unit, issued by the Cluj County Labor and Social Protection Directorate.

From 2004 to the present, the Cluj-Napoca Local Council – Directorate of Social and Medical Assistance – has supported FIV by subsidizing social assistance services under Law 34/1998.

Since October 2016, FEC's two main services – the Home Care Unit for Elderly Persons and the Day Center for Elderly Persons – have received operating licenses from the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection, Family and Elderly Persons.

In 2019, FIV won European Social Fund financing under the project: "GRANDPARENTS – Services for the Elderly", Human Capital Operational Program (POCU) 2014-2020, SMIS code 2014/126647, providing non-reimbursable funding for the implementation period June 5, 2019 – December 4, 2022.

General objective of the project: "Reducing the number of people belonging to vulnerable groups by providing at least 162 elderly persons in situations of dependency and/or at risk of social exclusion with integrated social services tailored to their specific needs."

On November 22, 2022, Foundation for Elderly Care was officially recognized as a Public Utility Organization by Government Decision no. 1409/2022 – issued by the Government of Romania.