Staying at home – help at home

Countries

Greece

Policy areas

Organisation name Municipality of Palaio Faliro

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Contact person: Yiannis Fostiropoulos/ Maria Dimitroulia

europe@palaiofaliro.gr

The project Staying at Home – Help at Home was launched in the Municipality of Palaio Faliro, in the context of measures adopted by the Government of Greece to avoid the spread of the Covid-19 virus. The municipality has faced numerous challenges as a result of the measures, therefore the project aimed at fostering the resilience and crisis management of the municipality during a pandemic. The project was implemented during the first wave of the pandemic; however, it was reactivated after the restrictive measures that followed (i.e. the second and third waves of the pandemic).

The project started by reinforcing the municipality’s staff, by recruiting new experts and public administration officials. On 20 March 2020, the project initiated a hotline where citizens could call and ask questions or share their concerns. In addition, citizens could obtain information about the Covid-19 pandemic and register their requests via the municipality’s website and email. Social workers attached to the project responded to requests and questions, and updated information of public relevance.

Furthermore, social workers also provided immediate services related to the medical care of the citizens, but also shopping and making physical bill payments for people in risk groups. Food and cleaning products were delivered to citizens who were not mobile, and home deliveries of books were made in cooperation with the municipal library. In addition, the social workers of the project carried out onsite visits and social surveys for people belonging to vulnerable groups of the population in need of assistance.

The project served residents who were not mobile or were in self-isolation, supporting vulnerable social groups. The project implemented civil protection actions, and social solidarity and welfare policies. The public was informed through the municipality’s website, announcements at the central services of the municipality (Town Hall, Citizen Service Centre, etc.), distribution of leaflets and via social media.

The project met the immediate needs of the city’s residents, mainly belonging to vulnerable social groups facing difficulties of access either due to physical incapacity or the pandemic. The social workers provided services aimed at social cohesion and improving the quality of life of the city’s residents in a period of crisis.

  • The average age of the population covered is seventy (70) years old.
  • Around 35% of all requests are for medical care, 20% for other benefits, 18% for social grocery, 11% for food rationing, 11% for shopping and 3% for home health care or services not included in the programme.
  • The average frequency of visits to citizens was approximately two times.

Categorisation of the population into six groups.

  • Group A: Elderly > 70 years old, with burdened medical history, immunosuppressed, with chronic diseases such as heart disease, anaemia, diabetes mellitus and chronic respiratory problems such as CRD and COPD. Furthermore, this group has special needs and an established disability rate of 67% or more.
  • Group B: Economically disadvantaged, destitute, receiving social benefits such as social assistance, rent subsidies or registered in the social structures of the municipality, the social grocery or the soup kitchen and food rations.
  • Group C: Homeless people in the city.
  • Some citizens could belong to two groups at the same time – groups A and B, for example. For groups A and C, and B and C, there are no registrations.
  • Group A makes up 52% of the total population, group B – 29% and group C – 2%. In addition, groups A and B account for 17% of the population; for groups A and C, and B and C, no records are registered.
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