Home-Based Care – Support for Lonely People: Zoia’s Story

Zoia has encountered numerous challenges throughout her life. Despite these obstacles, she remains a polite, active, wise, and kind person who tries to help others.

From a young age, Zoia has had problems with eyesight that persist to this day, presenting daily challenges. For nearly 50 years, she devoted herself to working at a boarding school for visually impaired children, offering them assistance and support. However, now facing life alone, Zoia finds herself in need of aid with even the most basic tasks of daily living – cooking, house cleaning, grocery shopping, bringing medicines from the pharmacy, visiting the doctor, etc.

“I strive to offer Zoia all the assistance I can to bring a little more happiness into her life. I help her with household chores, lend her a listening ear, provide emotional support, and endeavor to assist her with any household or social challenges she faces,” says Mariia, a social helper of the Ukrainian Red Cross. “I firmly believe that the support and care my colleagues and I provide to our clients across the country significantly improve their happiness and well-being. Most importantly, it instills in them faith and hope for the days ahead.”

The ‘Home-Based Care’ activity of the Ukrainian Red Cross is implemented throughout the whole country. Currently, nearly 1,160 social helpers of the Ukrainian Red Cross extend care to over 6,500 lonely elderly people.