The fourth "WE CELEBRATE LIFE" conference, held on the occasion of the celebration of October 1 - the International Day of the older perons, was successfully completed.
"Through joint and systematic solutions, we build a community in which people of the third age are respected, cared and supported in their dignified aging", were the words and the final conclusion of the fourth conference in a row named "WE CELEBRATE LIFE", which is already traditionally held on the occasion of celebrating 1. October, the International Day of the older persons, organized by Hilfswerk International together with project partners Association for Help and Development "HAJDE" and Social Protection Institution Hilfswerk House of Support.
This year's conference with the special theme "Care for dignified aging" on October 1, 2024 at the Holiday Hotel (Sarajevo) brought together renowned experts and representatives of decision-makers, who shared their knowledge and experiences about care quality in FBiH but also the known practices in region through two interactive panels.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, like the rest of the countries in the region as well as other countries on a global level, is proudly witnessing an increase in the number of older people, which on the one hand speaks of the quality response of the health and social protection systems, accompanied by the improvement of living conditions and the extension of life expectancy. On the other hand, this fact also poses parallel and equal challenges to the mentioned health and social protection systems, in such a way that it is necessary to ensure a timely response and solution to the growing needs of the population for their daily care.
This important topic at the very opening of the conference and all present participants from the relevant ministries for labor and social policy at the federal and cantonal level were welcomed by Lejla Hadzimesic (Regional Director of HWI for Balkans), Aida Ramic Catak (Director Assistant for Medical Affairs of the Institute for Public health of the FBiH), Berina Filipovic (Minister Assistant in the Ministry of Labour, Social Policy, Displaced Persons and Refugees of the CS), as well as the Minister of the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Policy Adnan Delic, who expressed gratitude and the importance of Hilfswerk International in its work for older persons in Canton Sarajevo, emphasizing the importance of the quality aging process in pople own homes which should become the standard and ultimate common goal of all actors in the health and social care chain.
After the opening speaks, the first panel discussion on the topic "Care in FBiH: challenges, development and progress in long-term care" provided a comprehensive overview of current data and statistics taken from the local and global context, which ended with a clear message that the issue of ensuring conditions for dignified aging is common to everyone in primary health care, but also to civil society organizations that significantly contribute to its progress and standardization.
Gathering experts from the practice of working with the older persons, the second panel was named "The role of caregivers and geronto-homemakers in maintaining the quality of life of the older persons and persons in need" reached conclusions in which caregivers were highlighted as one of the most important links in the chain of ensuring quality service with the possibility of prevention of further hospitalization and worsening of the patient's health condition. As such, accompanied by adequate psychosocial support and possible supervisory work in the future, caregivers are recognised as very necessary part for the entire health system and all other sectors that deal with older people in need, through future necessary work on the professionalization of their profession in FBiH.
Organizations and institutions such as Hilfswerk House of Support and Swiss Red Cross which offer mobile care for users in their own homes, as well as quality private care institutions (SENTIVO), are recognized as carriers of the prevention of hospitalization of patients, where through comprehensive care that includes not only physical but also emotional users' needs, evaluate the environment in which older persons can live with dignity, without losing their sense of belonging to society.
The mentioned conference was held as part of the project "Services for Dignified Life of Older Persons in Georgia and BiH (Phase II)“, financed by the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC), which is implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina by Hilfswerk International in cooperation with implementation partners Association for Help and the Development "HAJDE" and the social protection institution "Hilfswerk House of Support". This project, which connects the two regions of Georgia (GE) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), was created as a response to common needs to deal with the previously mentioned accelerated aging of the population in both areas, followed by the disintegration of the multigenerational family model and the outflow of the young and middle-aged population from of their hometowns and rural areas, resulting in an increase in the number of senior citizens who faces limited access to targeted support services for a dignified and healthy life in old age.
In order to work on a solution to this problem and contribute to the community, Hilfswerk International together with its partners, has been actively promoting the rights of the older persons and services that respond to their needs in the mentioned regions of Europe in recent years. Using their long-term and significant experience in the field of home care and related services in Austria, the so-called "Houses of Support " have been successfully established since 2021 as independent local social service providers in two regions of Georgia (Shida Kartli and Kvemo Kartli) and Sarajevo Canton in BiH.
