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Hostel for aged people - Ilisesti
non patrimonial association - “Bethesda”
Romania

The Problem

As a non patrimonial association, “Bethesda” was founded in 1994, aiming at providing free medical assistance for the poor or for the disabled.
The association has also in view the possibility of helping with the basic materials the persons in difficulty (with low incomes, sick, with special needs). During the years the main activities focused on providing free medical consultation for 13.5 thousand people, out of which almost four thousand people were given permanent social and medical assistance for a limited period of time.
We also provided permanent shelter for twenty up to thirty aged people, offering them all the comfort and covering their social and medical needs. Our hostel has comfortable rooms, with easy access to all the facilities, offering sufficient quality food, clothes and footwear, permanent medical services, and spare time activities.

Solution and Key Benefits

 What is the initiative about? (the solution)
In 2005, in Ilisesti, a commune situated at 20km away from Suceava Municipality, the association opened a hostel for aged people, build at European standards, that offers exceptional conditions of accommodation for twenty up to thirty persons.
The hostel is situated in a remarkable natural environment, in the heart of the nature, it is surrounded by fir forests and natural lawns, with a view to Bukovina Mountains.
The building was constructed with the financial support offered by the organization “ROMANIA CARE” from Great Britain, by the British embassy and that of the ambassador of Great Britain in Bucharest. Some of the objects were donated by the British Embassy in Bucharest.
The residents of the hostel have an active social life – they participate to household activities, to religious messes, to trips, walks, visits with their family members.

Actors and Stakeholders

 Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
In order to achieve the proposed objective, several activities have been carried out.
In 2004 several persons with special needs were identified, persons without families or whose families could not offer them the necessary support and who needed permanent assistance.
In some cases the city halls, based on social investigations, requested house for some aged people. In other cases families applied for a place in the hostel.
In 2005 the aged people were distributed in the hostel taking into consideration their affinities, their common preoccupations, their close age, congeniality, health condition.
For the preparation of food two cooks were hired. For the needs of the hostel were hired two nurses, previously trained in Great Britain. Four medical assistants assure permanent medical care and the family doctor visits the residents of the hostel weekly.

(a) Strategies

 Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
 a.      What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
By opening the hostel we aimed at providing decent conditions of living, at European standards, to aged people unable to take care of themselves.

(b) Implementation

 b.      What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
The admittance to the hostel of persons without family was done without sustainers and recommendations.
Our objective was to provide to the residents of the hostel a decent living and security for the rest of their life, a safe place, food, health and social services, a.s.o.

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

 c.      What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
We looked for a location and partners in order to ensure the continuity of the activity.

(d) Use of Resources

 d.      What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
The health state of the residents who participated to the activities of the hostel was improved. They have become more communicative and their self-confidence and self-esteem has gradually increased. They feel confident and useful and participate to the social life and activities organized in the hostel.

Sustainability and Transferability

  Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
The activities of Bethesda Association developed in this hostel were presented to the citizens of Suceava County on the occasion of Aged People Day, the 8 March Day, 1 June Day, a.s.o., in symposiums, meetings with local non-governmental organizations, presentations of different programs initiated by the Authority of Public Health of Suceava County, through articles published in local newspapers.
The collaboration with the Direction of Social Assistance of Suceava County contributed to disseminate the examples of good practices to the other similar hostels from our county and Romania.
The activities of the hostel were sustained by the public authorities too – The Mayoralty of Ilisesti, The County Council of Suceava, The Prefect’s Institution of Suceava County.

Lessons Learned

 What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
During the two years several obstacles were overcome:
Difficulties of adaptation of the residents to the new environment have been noticed. After 2 months the conciliation of the psychologists has been resorted to, and this obstacle was overcome.
The sadness on the faces of the residents of the hostels, due to their pining after their families was another problem that we have been confronted to. In this case the psychologists helped the residents of the hostel to support themselves reciprocally, their family members were contacted and financial support was ensured for those who, due to economic difficulties were unable to visit their relatives.

Contact Information

Institution Name:   non patrimonial association - “Bethesda”
Institution Type:   Non-Governmental Organization  
Contact Person:   Gabriela Puscasu
Title:   president  
Telephone/ Fax:   +40230510036
Institution's / Project's Website:   +40230510036
E-mail:   office@bethesda.ro  
Address:   Victoriei street no 25, Bl E19, sc. A, ap. 1
Postal Code:   427201
City:   Suceava
State/Province:   Romania/ North -East Development Region
Country:   Romania

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