THE GREEK HELP AT HOME SCHEME

In the Kalamata region, the 'Help at Home' scheme is making good progress .

It is being developed in 4 groups :-
1) Kalamata , Asprochoma, Spercherogeia, and Laika - 105 beneficiaries with 9 staff
2) Taygetos Nedousa, Alagonia, Pirges, Artemisia, Karveli, Lada, Eliochori, Verga and Mikri Mantinia - 76 beneficiaries with 3 staff
3) Thouria , Mikromani, Aithaia, Antheia, Amfeia, and Poliani - 76 beneficiaries with 4 staff
4) Arfara , Velanidia, Agrilos, Vromovrysi, Stamatina, Pidima, Platy, and Ag Floros - 89 people with 4 staff

The personnel will have free transport on buses and some official vehicles. There is support staff including a psychologist, and they will be working with the Social Pharmacy and Municipal clinic. The aim is to provide counselling and psycho-emotional support for beneficiaries and their families , nursing primary care, family care , physiotherapy and mild Gym , health education and prevention and occupational therapy .
Address: Welfare Kalamata Tel : 27213 61863 Kalamatagr
( See below for details of the "Help at Home' scheme)

January 2014 : In West Mani the news is not so good. Unfortunately the Dimos has not been able to join the scheme. The only welfare support they are able to provide, relies on donations and help from local people and big companies, to provide food and clothing through the welfare shop in Kambos to 125 people in the area.

.................................................................................................

April 2011 : We are pleased to be able to publicise the latest plans by the West Mani Dimos for HELP AT HOME.

Last year we reported on the Greek Goverment Policy for Help at Home (see below), which was being administered from Messinia. However we were not able to give any contact information, as the local elections and administrative reorganisation caused a lot of uncertainty. Now a local committee for Social Care has been set up.

A message from Sonja:-

'The purpose of this committee is to help people who are in need. It does not matter what kind of need, illness, poor people, people with a lot of children, divorced families or anything else. The first thing we are going to do is to bring some food to poor people for Easter We did not have the time to organize a food-collection, but we will organize this better after the holidays.

There is a possibility of funding by the EU, so we are working now together with the assistance of Mrs Papoutsoglou(Messinia), who is very friendly and helpful. However we will need many volunteers when we start work, so it would be good if we would have a lot of people who are willing to support this new movement. '

The names of the Committee for Social care are :
1 - Dimitris Giannimaras (Mayor)
2 - Grigoriadou Sonja (me :) Proastio ) 69 48 61 43 80
3 - Spireas Petros (Kastro Kardamili) 27210 73 951
4 - Katsikea Aleksandra (Kardamili) 69 44 64 79 21
5 - Ksepapadea-Poulimenea Stamatoula (Proastio) 69 81 47 70 10
6 - Kiskira-Kapitsinou Maria (Stoupa) 27210 78054
7 - Katsareas Ilias (Kampos) 69 37 04 21 36
8 - Sarantea-Mantzounea Anna (Neo Chori) 27210 77 407

HELP AT HOME FOR THE ELDERLY AND DISABLED

Here is an statement of the Greek Government Policy:-

The program "Help at Home" for the Elderly in Greece , was designed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, with the aim to encourage the active involvement of the elderly in self health care within their family and social environment and the prevention of social exclusion.

Website

Thus the elderly can avoid admission to an institution that is traumatic for physical and psychological health.

The program "Help at Home" for the Elderly in Greece offers:
• Nursing care provided at home by nurses
• Social care provided by social workers
• Home help provided by home aids, and
• Voluntary help provided by volunteers from the local communities.

Priority is given to the elderly who are dependent, live alone, and have low income.

The local Dimos is supporting this policy and stated in a recent bulletin that:-

'In social welfare we want to inform that it has begun in our municipality Program "Help at Home." The program involves the provision of welfare services to elderly persons and persons with disabilities. Program involved 130 people from all villages in the municipality.'

To qualify for help you need to be handicapped or over 65. However, the program is not organised locally. It is organised centrally for the whole of Messinia.

If you need help, know someone else who needs help, or can offer help, we hope to have further information on who to contact, soon ( 21-9-2010 )

Click image to find other places