Together for Life presented to the Commission for Labour, Social Affairs and Health, in the Parliament of Albania, the findings of the Report "Healthcare and social protection sectors expenditures monitoring report for the year 2022", according to which although the number of lonely elderly who need social care is increasing from year to year, the number of those who receive services in public centers is minimal and is decreasing. Therefore, during 2022, the year to which the TFL report refers, only 310 elderly people have been provided with services in social care centers, out of the 350 that it was planned.
TFL representative Redina Canaku, who attended the hearing session called by the Commission on the occasion of World Elderly Day, also stressed that "most elderly people suffering from several chronic diseases cannot financially afford to purchase basic medicines (including those with reimbursement) or additional examinations/medications and that the health system is not prepared for the growing needs of the elderly".
In the report published with the support of National Endowment for Democracy (NED), it is evidenced that the elderly, mainly those who live in rural areas who do not have physical access to primary health care centers or have poor quality services offered to them, are forced to receive services at home for which they have to pay additional costs or have to make informal payments.
In the hearing session held by the Parliamentary Commission participated representatives of state institutions, civil society organizations and international organizations, whose work focuses on the elderly and their well-being.
The present deputies, referring to Together for Life’s annually reported data, acknowledged the reported problems and the proposed recommendations, emphasizing the need for concrete urgent measures to improve the elderlies socio-economic and health situation.
To hear the full speech, please click the link: https://fb.watch/ntbIKZ8ELP/
To read the full report, please refer to the link: Monitorimi-i-shpenzimeve-te-sektorit-te-shendetesise-dhe-mbrojtjes-sociale-per-vitin-2022.pdf (togetherforlife.org.al)
