Care for the elderly: what are the risks of the foster family idea?

In August of this year, the Government of the Republic of Armenia presented a draft decision “On Approving the Order of Care Services by the Elderly Family in his Home”. This plan provides that only elderly families who do not own property and are required to reside in an elderly home can be cared for by the elderly. According to the justification, the benefit will be twofold: the elderly without a foster will have a foster care, and a family without  a place of residence will get it. All this is still under discussion, and in this context it is interesting to see how the idea of ​​a foster family is perceived in the public.

The 2018 National Institute for Labor and Social Research’s study of the demand and opportunities for caring for the elderly in foster families shows that the public attaches great importance to the care of the elderly and considers it appropriate to provide a range of additional services to them. In particular, daycare centers will be set up, free medical services will be introduced, home care and home care provided, pensions will be raised, and care services will be introduced in the country.

At the same time, a significant proportion (64%) of respondents would not agree to become a foster family for an elderly person, and only 14% of those surveyed expressed this desire. The overwhelming majority of non-wishers live in Yerevan – 74%. Overall, the majority of respondents – 89% – think that the elderly need to take care of their children, 69% say the state and 17% – their community.

And the elderly themselves find that older people in our society need free medical services (31%), home care and home care services (20%), retirement benefits (12%), additional money (11%), as well as entertainment, day centers, attention, warm and caring attitude, etc.

WomenNet.am spoke with Armine Mkhitaryan, head of the Social Assistance Division at the National Institute of Labor and Social Research at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, to find out what the risks of investing in a foster care family are. On the other hand, to what extent is our state ready to provide for the dignity of the elderly who are considered vulnerable?

– To what extent is the idea of being a caring family for an elderly acceptable to Armenian society and is there a demand among the elderly?

– Our studies show that 13-14% of the population is ready to invest in this model and ready to care for the elderly. The percentage of those who want to stay in the elderly is lower, as it has a very important role to play in choosing which model to take –  when the family takes elderly to their place and takes care of them or they takes care of the elderly at his/her place. The state seems to be inclined to the following model: a young family without a home may take care of elderly at his/her place on condition that the apartment would remain with them later.

–  And what model do you think will work in Armenia?

– There are discussions about some models. There is a model of investing in small homes that will provide 24-hour care, but with far better conditions than in nursing homes operating today. Next is the strengthening of home care, which is more acceptable to the elderly so that they are cared for at home rather than being moved to an institution or leaving home. Because seniors feel more comfortable  at home. Day care centers are also being discussed, which will provide leisure time for elderly people, communication with peers, etc., meaning that the elderly live in their own home, but spend time in those centers during the day.

– In general, how would you rate the life of the elderly in Armenia? We have been talking for years that pensions are low, health care is not available, life after 50-60 stops, and so on.

– Today, when talking to the elderly, the main requirement is to raise pensions – people want money and affordable health services. That is what seniors are interested in first of all. In addition, they want spa treatment and relaxation, have a problem with their free time, how to organize their leisure time, up to more affordable loans for the elderly – yes, they do. The important thing, in my opinion, is that we finally have geriatrics. Some steps have already been taken in this direction; there has been an increase in the number of geriatric classes for several years, but no specialization yet; it is time to finally have geriatricians in Armenia.

– In all these models discussed, the social worker should play an important role. We always hear that there is a social worker institute in Armenia, but how much does it really help the same old people in their daily worries?

– In fact, NGOs operating in Armenia do so much better than the state – the same Mission Armenia, Caritas NGOs have years of experience, and their social workers work very well. As for state social welfare services, … I can’t say that there is a special treatment for the elderly. The state works more with families – they do not differ children, the elderly and mainly deal with needy families. However, they do not deal with the elderly in particular, and state policy in that direction must be specific.