The municipality co-finances care at home for more than 250 residents of Jelgava per year, and the total funding allocated by the municipality for this service this year is more than 200,000 euros.
Home care can be received by persons of retirement age; adults with disabilities; persons of working age who are in a crisis situation and are unable to perform daily household chores and/or personal care and who have no dependents or cannot provide the necessary care due to their age, employment or health condition; adult persons with group I or II disabilities with mental disorders, who have been diagnosed with mild or moderate mental and behavioral disorders according to a psychiatrist’s opinion.
Within one month after receiving the application and the documents, the Jelgava Social Affairs Board makes a decision on granting or refusing to grant the service. Indigent persons can receive fully paid care at home, while the co-payment for others is determined according to the approved price list of Jelgava Social Affairs Board’s paid services. As I. Hofmane explains, the needs of each client are evaluated in order to decide on the types of support to be included in home care and their frequency.
Most often, support is needed for the performance of such important everyday skills as help in ensuring personal hygiene (washing, care of prostheses, etc.), positioning in bed, help in dressing and undressing, monitoring the use of medication, cleaning the premises (washing dishes, taking out household waste, washing the floor, etc.), food and purchase and delivery of other goods, cooking and feeding, assistance in cooperation with various institutions (payment of bills, etc.), socialization. “Since care at home in Jelgava is provided by two social service providers, as soon as the support is granted, the client has the opportunity to choose one of them – the Samaritans Association of Latvia or “Senior Latvia”, emphasizes I. Hofmane.
It should be noted that both social service providers also provide paid services. For example, the Samaritans Association of Latvia offers the “Safety Button” service – the price is 28 euros per month. Four customers use this service in Jelgava. On the other hand, the full price of SIA “Senior Latvia” home care is 9.50 euros per hour.
In order to introduce its services to Jelgava residents, “Senior Latvia” will hold an Open Door Day on April 25 from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in room 119 of the Jelgava Social Affairs Board in Jelgava, Pulkveža Oskaras Kalpaka street 9.
