Representatives of the Ombudsman visited the Chernihiv Geriatric Nursing Home

On June 3, 2016, the regional coordinator for public relations of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Commissioner for Human Rights in Chernihiv region, Alla Lepekha, together with the monitor of the National Preventive Mechanism, head of the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights, Viktor Tarasov, visited the Chernihiv geriatric boarding house.

Given the tragedy that occurred at the end of May with a “private” institution for the elderly in the village of Litochky in the Kyiv region, the attention of the public and human rights institutions to the conditions of stay in such institutions is becoming especially meticulous.

The Chernihiv Geriatric Boarding House accepts elderly people who have reached retirement age, and disabled people of groups I and II, over 18 years old, who due to their health need external care, household services, medical assistance and who are not contraindicated to stay in a boarding house in accordance with medical indications and contraindications to admission to the boarding house, and who do not have able-bodied relatives obliged to support them by law.

In particular, during the visit, the Ombudsman’s representatives found that most of the wards of the boarding house live in properly equipped rooms, mainly for two people. Disabled people are provided with wheelchairs and small mechanization devices, a library and a shop are open.

Public monitors got acquainted with the living conditions, and also talked with the people staying there. The patients of the institution said that they are comfortable in the boarding house, they like the care of the staff. They are provided with linen, clothes and everything they need. In addition, every week the boarding house hosts cultural and educational events, watches films, patients have the opportunity to go to prayer in the chapel, which is located in the building. They also noted the high level of medical services.

The most difficult patients of the geriatric boarding house are people who need outside care.

For reference:

Almost 22 thousand elderly people and those with disabilities are residents of 96 boarding houses, boarding houses for the elderly, as well as 332 inpatient departments of territorial centers of the social protection system. However, in most of them, instead of protection, care and respect, elderly people face indifference, insults, abuse of their property or money and even beatings. These are the data of the monitoring of geriatric institutions by the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM).

NPM

is an independent national body that was created and operates in accordance with the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture and provides for regular monitoring of all places of deprivation of liberty to prevent ill-treatment of people who are there. In Ukraine, it has been operating since 2012 in the “Ombudsman Plus” format, which involves monitoring visits to places of deprivation of liberty by employees of the Ombudsman’s Office together with public activists.

Places of deprivation of liberty

– institutions where each of us may find ourselves by decision or instruction of an administrative, judicial or other body, without the right to leave them of our own free will.