Оrganization of the provision of social services to elderly people at the level of the territorial community in Ukraine: current state and prospects

Abstract

The article is devoted to the organization of social services for the elderly at the level of territorial community in Ukraine. The author substantiates the importance of providing effective social services to this particular category of the population by the tendency to increase the share of the elderly in the demographic structure of the population of Ukraine. The article notes that the provision of effective and high-quality social services to the elderly will not only allow them to remain active, efficient and independent for a longer time, which will not only significantly reduce the burden on the health care and social protection systems, but will also help to change the attitude of society towards them, to see the elderly as a valuable productive resource for the economic growth of the state.

The author examines the basic concepts on which social work with the elderly is based and notes that their main provisions and principles should be taken into account when organizing the provision of social services to this category of clients. The article determines that the most common organizational form of social service provision to the elderly in Ukraine is the Territorial Centers for Social Services (social service provision). It is found that among the many types of social services provided by the Territorial Centers: social, psychological, social and pedagogical, social and medical, and legal, the following can be distinguished as innovative for our country, namely: the social and pedagogical service «University of the Third Age»; medical and social care service; hospice and palliative care service; and transportation service.

The author notes that an important condition for the effectiveness of the provision of social services to older people, as well as any programs and projects aimed at this category of population, is their participation in their development and discussion. This can be facilitated by the creation of initiative advisory bodies at the local level - Councils of Seniors - that will represent the interests of older residents of the territorial community.