Paid nursing homes of increased comfort are planned to be created in Belarus in 2011-2015

January 4, Minsk / Oksana Shikut - BELTA /. Small-capacity and enhanced comfort boarding houses, where services will be provided on a paid basis, are planned to be established in Belarus in 2011-2015. This was announced by Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection Valeryan Korol today at a press conference, as reported by a BELTA correspondent. The establishment of new types of stationary social service institutions in the country is envisaged by the Comprehensive Program for the Development of Social Services for 2011-2015, which includes the subprogram "Development of Stationary Social Service Institutions." Small-capacity and enhanced comfort boarding houses will be created both through new construction and the repurposing of existing buildings, Valeryan Korol specified. It is planned that these boarding houses will offer improved living conditions, and residents will be cared for, including through individual programs, taking into account the needs of each person. At the same time, the deputy minister did not rule out the possibility of creating similar institutions with funds from private investors. Valeryan Korol noted that an analysis of trends regarding the population aged 60 and older shows that the number of elderly people in the republic is increasing and that population aging is occurring more intensively. The number of lonely people or those living separately from children and relatives over working age is also increasing rapidly. Currently, about 2.1 million elderly people (21.4% of the country's total population) live in the republic. According to forecasts, by 2015 their number will increase to 24%. "Therefore, one of the manifestations of the state's care for elderly citizens is the functioning of stationary social service institutions in the country, designed for the life of elderly and disabled people," the deputy minister emphasized. There are 74 boarding houses for the elderly and disabled operating in the republic, housing 17.3 thousand people, including 20 such institutions for the elderly and disabled, the Republican Boarding House for War and Labor Veterans with 180 beds, 44 psycho-neurological institutions, and 9 for children with disabilities with psychophysical development features. A system of medical and social assistance has been created in stationary institutions to serve this category of the population. The material and technical base is constantly being strengthened, significant work is being done to improve medical, domestic, and cultural services, and conditions are being created for recreation, feasible work, and health improvement. However, the need for stationary social services remains. The department representative identified the need for social services for people with psychophysical development features who pose a danger to living in families as the most acute problem. To address the existing problems, by Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 1229 of September 28, 2007, the Program for the Development and Optimization of the Network of Social Service Institutions until 2011 was approved, with Br171.1 billion allocated for the implementation of its measures, including Br139.9 billion for stationary institutions. Since the beginning of the program's implementation, 1178 places have been created, the waiting list for admission to boarding houses has been reduced from 1370 people to 671, and living space areas have been brought into compliance with established sanitary norms (7 sq.m per person) in nine out of 17 stationary institutions (53%). Despite the work carried out, the main tasks (elimination of the waiting list for admission to stationary institutions and bringing the area of sleeping premises into compliance with established norms) remain unresolved. To address these and other tasks for the development of social services, the Comprehensive Program for the Development of Social Services for 2011-2015 has been approved, Valeryan Korol explained. The total funding for the program is over Br291 billion. During this period, it is planned to eliminate the waiting list for admission to boarding houses, bring living space areas into compliance with established sanitary norms, and strengthen the material and technical base of institutions. -0-