The Russian Red Cross operates a unique arrangement of humanitarian relief and care for elderly and people with disabilities, known as Houses of Mercy. These are all-day care facilities where residents are assisted with their daily routines and have their health and, most importantly, psychological status carefully monitored. Over the last four years, more than 850 elderly and disabled people have received this kind of assistance in the Kamchatka Krai and the Belgorod and Vologda regions.
The Russian Red Cross Houses of Mercy offer round-the-clock nursing and personal care to those who cannot cope independently for reasons related to age, health condition or life circumstances. Here professional medical assistance is provided in a caring environment as staff help residents with daily hygiene and meals, supervise their health condition, structure their leisure activities, engage them in adaptive physical exercise, offer psychological and legal support, and help them to have personal documents re-issued.
Emphasis is placed on safety and comfort as well as the beneficiaries’ mental health. The rooms are cleaned daily, meals are health-specific, and the residents are under 24-hour supervision. Importantly, every such establishment of the Russian Red Cross pursues a personalized approach, taking into consideration each individual’s character, habits and special needs. For instance, the Belgorod House of Mercy assists its residents with publishing books of their authorship.
“Our Houses of Mercy are more than just centers of care – they constitute an environment where people regain the feeling of being at home knowing there’s someone around. We find it important that elderly people and people with restricted mobility are looked after, not just by medical personnel and social workers, but those who are prepared to give warmth, support and attention. This is what makes the Russian Red Cross format unique: we combine professional assistance and human care. Developing care homes of this kind is among priority goals of the RRC Mercy Service. This year we launched a House of Mercy in the Ulyanovsk region, and we are planning for further expansion,” said Pavel Savchuk, President of the Russian Red Cross.
RRC Houses of Mercy offer a short-term stay option which allows families to place their dear ones under reliable supervision if they need to leave temporarily.
