The so-called “Geronto – housewives” have visited Batuse at the beginning of their engagement, accompanied by Ivica Micic, the Director of Health and Social Protection of the Municipality of Gracanica, where they met with old and ill people about whom they will be taking care in future.
Zorka Simijanovic, one of the geronto – housewives service users, will now get help in sorting and cleaning of an old and decrepit house, grocery shopping, food preparation, assistance with mobility as well as going to the doctor’s. Eighty-years-old Zorka is a severe heart-disease patient and more than two years ago she suffered a stroke and since then she has been moving more difficult and hardly can she manage to survive alone.
Humane neighbors bring her a sop every morning and often it is the only option to feed during the day. She rarely manages to get medicines because there is no one to buy them to her. Surprised by the visit of geronto – housewives she accepted any kind of help and said that she very often lacked in company and warm human word.
Granny Zorka said: “I have been alone for a very long time. I am ill and cannot prepare anything. Some bread is brought to me in the morning and I do not have anything else, but when I do, I have no strength to prepare it. Thank you so much for opening my house. Come whenever you can, my children.”
Beside chatting with geronto – housewives, granny Zorka said she didn’t need anything but to be visited sometimes and taken to the doctor when it was time for control.
“The people from here take a lot of many from me in order to take me to a doctor in Laplje Selo or Ugljare. But I have no other options. Thank you for leaving your phone number and because you will be coming. I will call you, too, but won’t bother you for every little thing”, said granny Zorka showing her modesty in conversation with nurses who have been engaged to work through the Municipality of Gracanica.
Director of the Department of Health and Social Protection of the Municipality of Gracanica Ivica Micic said the municipality was working on forming the two teams of so-called geronto – housewives who will regularly visit and take care of the elderly in the territory of the municipality of Gracanica.
Micic said: “While making plans for the future period this is something that crystallized as a great need among socially endangered households of the elderly. According to the data we posses there are more than 20 old people who need services of geronto – housewives but this number is not finite because we are working on updating and incorporating of the data.”
Leposava Nicic, who was also visited by “geronto – housewives” team, a whole life has been cared by her brother since her mother died after giving a birth to her. Poor hearing and nerves, she couldn’t tell what she needed the most. She couldn’t hide the tears during the conversation with geronto – housewives and the
only thing she complained about was the pain in her legs.
“My legs hurt a lot but I can walk a little bit. When will you come again?”, it was the only thing Leposava could say all the time of our visit, due to her tears.
The users of this program implemented by the municipality of Gracanica are older people who are more than 65 years old, who have been retired or receive some kind of social benefits and are in a condition of social necessity.
Ten young men and girls, starting from today, will take care of elderly and disabled persons within the project which is implemented by the Municipality of Gracanica.
