Thanks to medical advancements, people are living longer than ever before. With a little assistance, it is possible to live a dignified and high-quality life in old age, in the comfort of one’s own home or familiar surroundings. The Red Cross of Montenegro is a licensed provider of Home care services. The quality of the service we offer is guaranteed by trained staff and the standards we adhere to. Currently, this service is provided by 90 caregivers in 13 municipalities across Montenegro (Plav, Gusinje, Andrijevica, Berane, Petnjica, Rožaje, Bijelo Polje, Mojkovac, Kolašin, Nikšić, Plužine, Pljevlja, Danilovgrad) and the Royal Capital of Cetinje, serving over 840 beneficiaries.
Ljubica Lalević, 80 years old, lives in Bijelo Polje. She is a widow and has no children. She lives out of a small pension of 105 euros, which is often not enough to cover basic life needs. She is a recipient of home care services.
I was 43 years old when my husband passed away. My mother-in-law died fifteen days after my husband. I have been living alone in this house since 1988. While I had the strength, I worked in the garden, grew vegetables, chopped and stacked wood. Now I can’t do anything. Nothing can be done, the years have come. If I had only counted them instead of carrying them, it would have been a lot,” says Ljubica.
The caregiver visits Ljubica twice a week for two hours, according to a decision from the Center for Social Work and a plan created by the social worker based on Ljubica’s needs. The caregiver helps Ljubica with meal preparation, heating, shopping for groceries, purchasing medications, and maintaining hygiene in her home.
“We do everything together, and with laughter. Her help means a lot to me, but most of all, that I am not alone. When she is here, I can do everything, and I would recommend this service to any older person,” says Ljubica. She lives alone, has no relatives, and the caregivers often the only person she speaks to during the week.
“Very often, Mrs. Ljubica and I do everything together. Our cooperation has grown into a friendship, and we don’t just have a strictly business relationship. We get along very well; I enjoy being with her, and I hope she enjoys being with me,” says the caregiver, Šemsida. “Besides Ljubica, I have 9 other beneficiaries that I visit. I have excellent relationships with all of them and I am satisfied with my work.”
The home care service significantly meets the needs of older individuals who live alone. It is extremely important as a remedy for loneliness and a form of psycho-social support. It enables the older people to maintain and improve their functionality, allowing them to lead rich and dignified lives.
One hour of service costs 4.09 euros. The majority of the cost is covered by the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, while beneficiaries, depending on their income, contribute up to a maximum of 50%.”