The Vitebsk region is home to over 264,000 elderly citizens, including 140,000 living alone, 19,000 who are single, 55,300 disabled individuals, and 251 veterans of the Great Patriotic War.
The Vitebsk region is home to over 264,000 elderly citizens, including 140,000 living alone, 19,000 who are single, 55,300 disabled individuals, and 251 veterans of the Great Patriotic War.
Social assistance is provided by 25 territorial centres for social services for the population, which host 155 departments, 5 branches, and 247 social points.
In 2022, a department for adaptation and rehabilitation of the Beshenkovichi Territorial Centre for Social Services was opened, along with a centre for social adaptation, rehabilitation, training, accommodation for disabled individuals, and temporary shelter at the Lepel Territorial Centre. Stationary social points were established in the Gluboksky, Dokshitsky, and Tolochinsky districts, as well as in the Oktyabrsky and Pervomaysky districts of Vitebsk city. Nineteen household teams and 23 mobile social service teams are in operation.
The needs of citizens requiring home-based social assistance are fully met. As of 01.10.2022, over 15,600 incapacitated elderly citizens received services. Caregiver services were provided to 553 individuals.
Thirty-two day care centres for the elderly are operational, with over 2,900 individuals attending on a regular basis.
Nine agreements are in effect with non-governmental non-profit organisations within the framework of state social procurement for the provision of social services in the Orshansky and Polotsky districts, and the Oktyabrsky, Zheleznodorozhny, and Pervomaysky districts of Vitebsk city. Services were rendered to 1,024 citizens.
The main partners in the implementation of state social procurement include: the Vitebsk regional organisation of the public association "Belarusian Society of the Deaf", the Vitebsk city organisation of the public association "Belarusian Society of Disabled Persons", the Vitebsk regional branch of the Republican public association "Belarusian Children's Fund", the Vitebsk regional organisation of the public association "Belarusian Association of the Visually Impaired", and the Barani city organisation of the public association "Belarusian Association for Assistance to Disabled Children and Young Disabled Persons".
The provision of social services in foster families has allowed for the optimisation of expenses on maintaining social service institutions, and for citizens to receive social services in the most comfortable conditions for them. In this form of living arrangement, social services were provided to 77 citizens. Day care services were received by 114 people.
Additional social support from local budgets was provided to 765 citizens to the amount of 81.3 thousand rubles, and 6.9 thousand citizens received social and domestic assistance.
In territorial centres, 29 departments have been organised to ensure the day-time stay of disabled persons, with over 1.4 thousand people using their services. The implementation of supported living services for disabled persons is ongoing. Services have been provided to over 700 disabled persons.
Thanks to the effective interaction of state authorities and public organisations in the Vitebsk region, the indicators of the State Programme "Social Protection" for 2021-2022 are being exceeded.
Source: vitebsk-region.gov.by