Round Table: Human Rights Compliance for Older People and Persons with Disabilities

On October 3, 2022, a round table discussion on “Human Rights Compliance for Older People and Persons with Disabilities by Providers of Social Services in Private Ownership during Martial Law” took place in Kyiv. The event was organized by the Secretariat of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in collaboration with the NGO “Ukraine without Torture,” supported by the International Renaissance Foundation of the European Union under the joint initiative “European Renaissance of Ukraine.” Private long-term care facilities for the elderly provide significant support to families unable to care for their elderly relatives around the clock. In order to ensure compliance with standards for such institutions, representatives of the Ombudsman’s Office visited privately-owned care homes throughout 2023 and identified a series of violations, which were discussed at the round table. The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Social Policy, the National Social Service, leaders, and experts from civil organizations and charitable foundations such as “Unforgettable,” “Let’s Help,” “Warmth of Relatives,” and others. Our head of the new advocacy direction represented the Charity Fund “Elderly.” Leaders and founders of private geriatric nursing homes, including “Life House,” “Silver Age,” and “100 Years,” also had their say. In response to allegations of violations of the rights of the elderly and persons with disabilities, they pointed out that the registration procedure is too complex and cumbersome, and the requirements and standards are sometimes practically impossible to meet. This is why many institutions register as ordinary hotels, offering accommodation services, or choose other forms of activity. According to information from regional military administrations, there are 253 privately-owned care homes in Ukraine, but in reality, their number is much higher. In her speech, the head of our foundation’s advocacy department, Alina Dyachenko, emphasized the importance of studying and taking into account international experience in this field so that elderly people in Ukraine in need of care could have proper conditions and a dignified old age. At the end of the discussion, all participants concluded that private institutions need assistance, support, and promotion from the government. One form of support could be the training of staff in the basics of care, compliance with human rights in their work, and so on. A post about this event and our participation in it can be found on the foundation’s Facebook page [link]. In our opinion, such events play a crucial role in improving access to long-term care, which is one of the four focus areas of the WHO’s plan for healthy aging.