The Novi Sad Dean District Caritas is active in humanitarian and social care since 2000. Several projects were implemented, of which the main ones are:
- Home care and nursing
- Elderly day-care
- Montessori day care for children
- Mental health day-care
- Infocentar – the care center for elderly – founded by the city.
HOME CARE AND NURSING
The establishment ofNovi Sad Dean District Caritas “Home Care and Nursing” service was financed by CORDAID organization from Netherlands, afterwads it was placed in the national project which was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation (BMZ) and Development through the Caritas of Germany until the end of March 2011 (6 workers), another three workers were financed by the donations.
Following the withdrawal of support of BMZ (on 31 of March 2011), this part of the service officially ceased to operate, and the contracts with the patients were terminated.
The work continued by employment of an employee who is employed in collaboration with city founded Info Center.
In 2011, we held several seminars and practice:
- Two presentations regarding the Alzheimer illness for employees;
- Dementia – as the whole family and Alzheimer illness – diagnosis and therapy.
The Info Center organized three topics:
- Recognizing the urgent cases;
- The violence and the phenomenon of Palliative care;
- Two homemade auxiliary attended the training accredited by Caritas – “Basic Elements of Home Furtherance” and they come through the exams. Caritas organized practices for employees about the “Challenges in Work with the Elderly” and “Communication with the elderly”.
ELDERLY DAY-CARE
The day-care for elderly is partly financed by the City Government’s Social Assistance and Child Protection directorate, partly from our own sources. The day-care center with a nurse, a cook has a part-time working driver-supplier, a coordinator and an administrator.
The day-care center is taking care in weekly average of 42 people. They have the opportunity to bath, manicure and pedicure, clothes washing, measuring blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and purchase of medicine. We are organizing every day workshop regarding human relationships, awareness and management of emotions and spiritual issues.
MONTESSORI DAY-CARE FOR CHILDREN
The Montessori school supervision for children was operating from September 2009. Since April 2011, the Social Work and Child Protection Council of the City’s Government supports the institution.
We have an average of 16 children using day-care, most of them belong to the Roma community. Five employees are working: two educators, a psychologist, a serving-maid and driver-supplier. The institution renewed the cooperation with child day-care institution Radosno detinjstvo.
The main line of activity progressed according to the Montessori program: Environmental knowledge, cosmic themes, the basics of arithmetic, speech development, graphomotor skills, working with the Montessori materials, music and painting workshops, which are actualized in almost every topic. We paid attention to develop children’s confidence and self-esteem as well. Novelty is physical education once a week, which is hold by physical education teacher who does the job as a volunteer.
The strengthening of the human relations between the children, skill to observe the rules, progress in the use of the Serbian language, work and hygiene skills and healthy awakening of consciousness are visible.
MENTAL HEALTH DAY-CARE
Regular activities of the elderly day-care was held in the afternoon. The work was led by a psychologist, together with a graduated animator psychologist, the day-care hostess and the co-organizer of the service until the end of 2011. The professional consultant was doctor of psychology Boris Golubovic from the psychiatric institution of “Vojvodina Clinical Center”.
In 2012, the Milan Petrovic School elementary and high school for pupil with malformations the work involved in, where many were helped in practical training in future profession. The project was supported by the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, the Public Works and a micro project by Italian Caritas.
In absence of aid, in 2013 and 2014, the Mental Health Center works through voluntary support. The supported monthly get together under the leadership of a psychologist and seek to avoid the setback.
INFO CENTER – THE CENTRE OF ELDERLY CARE
This center was established and financed by the city government and it is operating in the building of the Red Cross. The center is responsible for coordinating social care for the elderly, for receiving calls and redirecting the claimant to the organization, which can help him, such as ECHO, Red Cross, Caritas, etc. It also maintains the call center and expands the call center’s database.
Two training sessions were organized by Info center: About dementia and in defining the rules in emergency cases in collaboration with the Novi Sad Home Treatment Service.
The City Government provides through the Info Center the wage of one Caritas employee.