In the Vitebsk region, social protection workers who provided care for the elderly and disabled during the pandemic were awarded
– The additional measures taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection among the elderly, people with disabilities, especially in residential institutions, can be confidently said today to have helped cope with this task, – noted the First Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus, Andrey Lobovich, presenting awards to the heroes of the occasion.
– We did everything possible for our wards to preserve their lives, health, and prevent the spread of coronavirus infection. A complete isolation regime was introduced in boarding schools, work teams switched to a shift method of work for two weeks, and some for 30 days. They were fully provided with personal protective equipment, all necessary safety measures and methods for pneumonia prevention were applied, internet technologies were actively used, and cooperation with VSMU received a new impetus. This yielded the main result – we did not allow the spread of coronavirus infection in residential institutions, – summarized Vera Astapenko, Head of the Department of Social Support of the Population and Residential Institutions of the Committee for Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Regional Executive Committee, who, by the way, is also among the awardees – she was awarded a Certificate of Honor of the Regional Executive Committee.
The social protection system of the Vitebsk region includes 15 boarding schools, 21 round-the-clock care units, and 25 territorial social service centers.
For their work during the pandemic, the Director of the Glubokoye psycho-neurological boarding house for the elderly and disabled, Kleopatra Supranionok, the head of the Lunacharskoye psycho-neurological boarding house for the elderly and disabled, Olga Lyudskaya, and Elena Lautkina, who heads the team of the Bogushevskoye boarding house for children with disabilities with psychophysical development peculiarities, received Letters of Gratitude from the Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus.
One of the largest boarding houses in the region is Lunacharskoye (Verkhnedvinsk district). It houses 430 people, many of whom are elderly and have disabilities. Since April, the staff has switched to a two-week work schedule, and earlier, a mask regime, daily medical examinations, thermometry, and other anti-epidemic measures were introduced. To prevent stagnation, physical exercises were increased from two to six times a day for all residents. This work involved not only a physical therapy specialist but also the entire staff, from the director to the orderlies.
“The pandemic revealed the best qualities of the staff and residents; people united, understood the situation, and followed all recommendations. Throughout the entire period to this day, although we have already abandoned the shift method of work, the mortality rate among our residents has decreased by 24% compared to last year, and there were no cases of pneumonia or ARVI,” noted Olga Lyudskaya, Director of the Lunacharskoye boarding house.
To assist the elderly and disabled individuals who are self-isolating at home, call centers established at each territorial center for social services of the population have undertaken large-scale work. They received over 8,000 requests, all of which were fulfilled in full, typically involving the delivery of food and medications. Public organizations, including the Red Cross and BRSM, assisted social workers.
Among those who came to the aid of the elderly every day was Almira Andreeva, a social worker at the Territorial Center for Social Services of the Shumilino District, who was awarded a Certificate of Honor of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus. After maternity leave, the mother of many children returned to her profession precisely during the period of increased incidence. The workload increased, as in addition to her regular wards, she had to help other elderly residents of the district center who were in self-isolation and had no one to go to the store or pharmacy for them.
– At this time, you especially acutely realize the significance and necessity of social services, you understand that you have to work, no matter what, not to give up, as people need your help, – this is the personal conclusion Almira Andreeva made.
Addressing the social service workers, Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee Vladimir Penin emphasized that the pandemic could only be countered thanks to universal coordinated work. He also drew attention to the fact that even with the return of all institutions to normal operation, it must be remembered that the infection has not completely disappeared, so it is important to take care of each other.