This time, we had a very productive meeting with the elderly target-group and representatives from the Municipal Council and the Directorate of Social Service in Vau i Dejes Municipality.
The attendees appreciated the provision of an open space to freely express their concerns and interact with decision makers, as this was the first time they participated in such meetings. During the discussion, some of the most priority challenges faced by this target group were highlighted, focusing mainly on social-economic ones.
Among the problems presented, were:
- The insufficiency of the coverage of daily living expenses from the monthly payment allocated to them.
- The emigration of young people and the increase in the number of elderly people who live alone, without care, negatively affecting on social isolation.
- The lack of 24-hour ambulance service and being forced to head to Shkodra to receive health services, weighting on their pocket.
- Poor quality of reimbursable medications.
- The lack of a day care center in the area where the elderly can receive various services or even spend time actively, which would positively affect their mental health.
- Lack of public transport service in the area, which hinders their active participation as citizens.
On the other hand, the representatives of the Municipal Council and the Municipality of Vau i Dejes stated that this target group is in the focus of their work and they try to identify the problems in time by conducting field visits and maintaining regular communication with the chairmen of the villages. They are constantly trying to convey information in the most accessible forms for them, as well as to take into account and convey their requests to the central decision-makers. However, their decision-making and problem-solving capacity is not always proeficient, due to the lack of sufficient funds.
In conclusion, both parties present reflected on the increase of the most significant efforts for the initiation of regular consultative meetings for the active participation of third-age citizens at the level of dialogue and partnership.
This meeting took place following the project "Increasing Community Engagement in Vau i Dejes, for the Resolution of Local Issues", with the financial support of the Small Grants Program of the Commission for Democracy and the US Embassy in Tirana.
