Between 17 and 19 October the Red Cross of Serbia and HumanaS Network hosted a visit of partners on Taking Action on Social Inclusion of Older people project (TASIOP), from Association Osmijeh-Gračanica and CSO Network For Dignified Ageing from Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the visit, on 18 October the guests visited Gerontological Centre Subotica where they learned about the services in the infirmary section of the Centre and could see the quality of services provided to older people is on par with that in the European Union for both bedridden and mobile beneficiaries. During the visit they talked to beneficiaries who expressed satisfaction with both staff and services at the Centre.

The general practitioner services are provided through the infirmary that is a part of the local Health Centre situated at the ground floor of the Gerontological Centre. The Centre also has a manicure/ pedicure parlour, as well as a hairdresser parlour, both at the disposal of the Centre’s beneficiaries. The partners from Bosnia and Herzegovina also learned about the way work therapy is organised, a very important element of preserving physical and psychological capacities of older persons. 

Gerontological Centre Subotica has ten clubs for older people, six in the city and four in the suburbs. The partners from Bosnia and Herzegovina visited two of these clubs and learned about the services provided through the clubs as well as gerontocarer services. The conclusion of the visit is certainly that this Gerontological Centre highly respects the concept of ageing equal.

After visiting the Gerontological Centre, the partners visited the Red Cross of Subotica where they learned about the work of this branch of the Red Cross of Serbia, especially the activities for older people living in poverty and the ways the Red Cross supports older people in ageing with dignity. They also learned about the traditional Red Cross of Serbia activity for older people “Sunny Autumn of Life”.

On the second day of the visit, the partners visited the Red Cross of Sombor branch where they were presented the activities of the computer workshop for older people and learned about the importance of informational literacy for ensuring access to rights for and social inclusion of older people. They continued with a visit to a civil society organisation URB “Rumunka”, an NGO that within the framework of TASIOP project developed their own microproject for older Roma people – a group practically invisible for those working in the field of ageing.

This visit is a regular project activity in TASIOP project, the regional project coordinated by the Red Cross of Serbia and supported by European Union, Austrian Development Agency and Austrian Red Cross.