“1+1” program: orphanage and retirement home under the same roof

The social adaptation program «1+1» is a social project for the placement of elderly citizens and disabled people with disabled children «left without parental care» in the same boarding house.

The program was launched by the staff of the Starobaish orphanage based on foreign experience.

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History of the program launch:

• Starobaish boarding house for the elderly and disabled people is one of the institutions of stationary social services for elderly and disabled people for 150 beds. It was founded in 2001 and initially was home to elderly and disabled people in difficult life situations.

• At the beginning of 2007, on the basis of a boarding house, a department for 10 beds for disabled children was created — a small department where children who were abandoned by their parents due to their physical disabilities began to live. In practice communication between elders and younger ones, especially within the walls of the boarding school, brings positive results.

• It all started with studying the experience of other institutions from 2007 to 2009, from 2010 to 2019, the implementation and development of the program continued, clubs and subprograms were created, and of course, from 2019 to the present day, we are adjusting the programs, implementing and further developing them.

• Currently, the boarding school is home to 146 people with limited capabilities due to health or disability and 31 disabled children with the status of «left without parental care». If at the beginning of the implementation of the program 3-5 elderly people were involved in joint activities with children, today there are more than 50 of them.

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The mechanics of the practice:

• Cooperation is organized by:

  • participation in hobby groups and clubs where grandparents and children cook side by side, make something, knit, sculpt, sing and dance, paint, play chess, participate in sports events, music and theater competitions.

  • Development of «internal» volunteering — joint walks, help in everyday life, even just communication, when they share joy, sorrows with each other, beneficially affect the emotional well-being of all participants by dream sharing.

• Teachers and specialists of the institution provide methodological and practical assistance to pupils and their mentors — grandparents, organizing master classes and workshops, conduct various consultations. Both parties, children and grandparents, need not only satisfaction of their physical needs, but also attention, demand, warm relationships with loved ones. All this is facilitated by close cooperation within the walls of the boarding house.

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Social effects:

• There is also an increase in the communicative potential of both sides of the cooperation, personal education of children.

• Spending time together and communication show feelings of «need», children feel care and love, they acquire self-confidence and faith in themselves.

• Mental loneliness is replenished, family ties are replaced in daily close communication. This project can be implemented in all nursing homes, combined with orphanages and shelters, based on the practical experience of our institution.