Home assistance

The mission of the Home Assistance Service (SAD) is to prevent the institutionalization of elderly people who cannot care for themselves and live alone. The service has been operating since 2012 in the town of Jimbolia, at 132 Ioan Slavici Street, Timiș County, and is accredited by law with operating license no. 1967 dated 30.06.2016.

Blythswood aims to improve the quality of life for elderly people with high dependency, respecting their dignity and freedom of choice, ensuring a clean and decent living space, maintaining autonomy for as long as possible, preventing the worsening of their dependency situation, providing support to families caring for dependent elderly people, ensuring continuity of services, reducing risks related to home safety for elderly people, lowering costs associated with long-term residential care, preventing repeated hospitalizations and institutionalization of elderly people suffering from chronic conditions that lead to dependency, supplying necessary living essentials, paying bills, taxes, and fees, etc.

Home assistance

The 15 elderly individuals who have accessed this service are provided with the following by the association:

  • Assistance with basic daily living activities: personal hygiene, dressing and undressing, elimination hygiene, feeding and hydration, transferring and mobilizing, movement indoors, communication;

  • Assistance with instrumental daily living activities: preparing or delivering food, shopping, housekeeping, accompanying on public transport, facilitating outdoor mobility, companionship, management and handling of goods, leisure activities.

The criteria for selecting assisted individuals are:

  • Economic (modest income)
  • Socio-housing (inadequate or unsanitary housing)
  • Medical (need for supervision and outpatient treatment)
  • Family (deceased partner, absence of children)
  • Psycho-affective (safety risks, mild forms of dementia)

Cleaning services include sweeping, vacuuming, floor washing, washing windows and curtains, shaking rugs, cleaning the yard, or snow removal during the cold season. Provisioning primarily involves purchasing food, water, and beverages, consumables, medications, as well as making payments on behalf of the beneficiary (taxes, fees, utility bills). The counseling service includes informing and guiding beneficiaries on daily life issues, involving them in various activities, encouraging their participation in cultural events and exhibitions, IT courses, or programs such as “aging beautifully.” Medical supervision has a generally preventive purpose, including extending treatment for chronic conditions, periodically measuring blood pressure, administering injections at home, changing bandages, and providing practical advice to maintain an active and healthy life.

Frequency and duration of weekly interventions:

  • 3 visits/week x 1.5 hours in the first week + 2 visits/week x 1.5 hours in the following week by the cleaning staff (zone 1)
  • 1 visit/week x 2 hours by the cleaning staff (zone 2)
  • 1 visit/week x 0.5 hours by the social worker
  • 1 visit/month x 0.5 hours by the doctor/nurse

The staff involved in providing the services consists of:

  • 1 social worker (also serving as the service coordinator),
  • 2 qualified home caregivers,
  • 1 medical assistant.

The service is subsidized by the local budget according to Law 34/1998, while the beneficiaries contribute 75 lei/month to cover other costs.