Covid19-Resilience of Older Persons in Georgia

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented social and economic disturbances in Georgia and Armenia that also immensely impacted the everyday lives of ordinary people in local communities. As elderly are one of the most affected groups, HWI (Hilfswerk International) and IDPWA strive with their project activities to combat the effects of the pandemic on socially vulnerable and socially isolated elderly persons in need of support to manage their everyday lives and seeking social interaction.

Socially vulnerable and isolated elderly persons need support to manage their everyday lives and seeking social interaction. With a focus on two regions (Kvemo Kartli and Shida Kartli), HWI and IDPWA provide

• Covid-19 sensitive mobile care,
• professionally-led healthy ageing activities (in person and online),
• inter-generational exchange,
• and awareness raising for elderly.

• Distributing personal protective equipment to mobile care and healthy ageing staff and, upon need, elderly,
• Rendering Covid-19 sensitive high-quality mobile care services to the most vulnerable elderly,
• Professionalizing healthy ageing activities through complementing self-organized activities by expert-run offers (in-person and online consultations, activities and events),
• Fostering inter-generational exchange between trained young volunteers and elderly and increasing IT-connectivity of elderly,
• Creating additional income opportunities for active, skilled pensioners for serving and rendering support to Covid-19-affected vulnerable families,
• Awareness raising for elderly issues through publications and trainings for local healthcare.