Day centre connecting people in Croatia
Croatia, 1 July 2008 – The district of Vrhovina has witnessed a significant decrease in its population compared to the pre-war period. Today Vrhovina's population stands at about 1,200, out of which 60% is comprised of the elderly, that is inhabitants who are 65 and older. This week’s opening of the program "Daily Care Center and home assistance for the elderly" in Gornje Vrhovine will assure day-to-day assistance and care for 215 inhabitants older than 65. By implementing daily assistance and visits for those people who are off residential premises, the quality of life will significantly improve for many households inhabited by the elderly in the county of Lika.
The daily maximum capacity of the centre is 70 people, and the program will be executed by 12 employees. The means for implementing this project have been allocated from the state budget, a loan from the World Bank, and UNDP, through a donation from the Norwegian Government. Jadranka Kosor, the vice-president of Government of the Republic of Croatia, Alessandro Fracassetti, the deputy resident representative of UNDP, and Milorad Delić, the mayor of the district of Vrhovina inaugurated the opening of the Daily Care Center.
One person households and those inhabited by elders are scattered throughout the region. Often, these are isolated from the main roadways and far from the district center, and consequently far from grocery stores and pharmacies as well. When people cannot count on the altruism of others, since the first neighbor is kilometres away, and public transport is nonexistent, everyday assistance and visits from employees from the program Daily Care Center and home assistance for the elderly will help ease life for those in need, said the mayor of Vrhovine Milorad Delić. “Besides procuring food and medication, transport to the doctor's, employees will offer help with household chores, and as one future customer noticed, an important aspect of this program is the possibility of getting together and chatting,” said Delić.
"Vrhovine, like a number of other municipalities that are situated in regions that were once part of the war, should take advantage of the increasing developments in the region, in order to provide its inhabitants with all the necessary infrastructure, public services, social care, employment and subsequent income", said the Deputy Resident Representative to UNDP Croatia, Alessandro Fracassetti.
This project, which is worth nearly 2 million kunas, was realized through the Program for intergenerational solidarity, and was conducted by the Ministry of family affairs, veterans and intergenerational solidarity. The project was first initiated thanks to the UNDP and the 500 thousand kunas that the Norwegian Government donated to the project. This money was spent on renovating the actual building for the Daily Care Center. The district of Vrhovine alone invested 530,000.00 kunas that will be used to complete and decorate the building, and the 515,000.00 kuna loan by the World Bank will be used to acquire the equipment. The World Bank loan is part of the county project known as "Program for social and economic rehabilitation". The 200,000.00 kunas necessary to employ the 12 workers will come from the Ministry of family affairs, veterans and intergenerational solidarity.
During the past several years, the municipality of Vrhovine has been intensely involved in taking care of a number of ailments that have been afflicting its inhabitants. Several significant infrastructure projects have been initiated: the renovation of state road D-52 that connects the Adriatic Coast and the National Park Plitvice Lakes is one of the most important projects since more than half of all the visitors to our most famous national park use it. The local government understands that the growing regional tourism could greatly strengthen the economic developments of the region.
UNDP Croatia
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