At the end of August, the Red Cross Rožaje launched the project “Care for the Elderly”, aimed at improving the quality of life of 35 elderly people in rural and urban areas of the municipality. The project is focused on citizens over 65 years of age, providing them with better access to health and psycho-social services, particularly for those with the most limited access.
For the purposes of the project, a team of five young Red Cross volunteers was formed, trained in first aid, basic health and psycho-social support, and communication with the elderly.
“In cooperation with a doctor, we visit the elderly in rural areas, during which we carry out medical examinations for beneficiaries who have difficulty reaching the Health Center due to inaccessible transport or economic problems. With the assistance of our trained volunteers, we provide help in measuring blood pressure and glucose levels, as well as in obtaining medications. We also assist with household chores such as washing dishes, vacuuming, bringing in and stacking firewood, and performing other small domestic tasks,” said the Red Cross Rožaje.
The project “Care for the Elderly” is financed by the Fund for Active Citizenship (fAKT), within the grant scheme “Community in Action”, which supports concrete civic initiatives aimed at addressing the immediate needs of the community. This scheme is part of the three-year program “Supported = Empowered” implemented by fAKT in partnership with the Slagalica Foundation from Croatia, with the support of the European Union and the Ministry of Public Administration. The project “Care for the Elderly” in Rožaje will last until November 20, 2025.
In addition to home visits to the elderly, the project will also include workshops and presentations on healthy aging, with an emphasis on the importance of mental health preservation, as well as various excursions.
“We organize joint excursions to Lake Plav, Brezovačko Hill, and the Štedim Mountain Lodge with the aim of exchanging experiences and improving mutual awareness of the daily needs of our beneficiaries,” the Red Cross noted.
According to MONSTAT and UNDP data, Rožaje is one of the poorest municipalities in Montenegro, with particularly high levels of poverty risk in rural populations. Nearly 17% of Montenegro’s total population is over 65 years old. In Rožaje, there are around 4,200 people over 65, of whom 30% do not have regular access to health services, and 41% are socially excluded, according to the Red Cross in that town.
“Rožaje has no nursing home, nor clubs or institutions aimed at the needs of the elderly. In rural villages of the north, poor roads and a complete lack of transport mean that many elderly do not see a doctor for months, even though over 70% of them suffer from chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes – which remain untreated. Our database from the past three years of work on similar projects recorded 65 beneficiaries in rural and 40 in urban areas for whom this kind of assistance is of great importance,” the Red Cross concluded.
The project “Care for the Elderly” not only brings concrete results in the form of health and social support for the elderly, but also creates broader social value – encouraging solidarity, reducing isolation, and improving the quality of life of entire families. In this way, a community is built in which the elderly population is not left to fend for themselves, but receives attention, care, and support that enables them to age with greater dignity and health.
Photo: Red Cross Rožaje