The “Zafir Sajto” Nursing Home in Kumanovo will undergo a complete renovation of its geriatric unit as part of a project the institution is implementing in partnership with the municipalities of Leskovac and Vranje.
The project is in the final preparation stage, while the public procurement procedure for the start of the works is expected to be carried out in September.
Director of the “Zafir Sajto” Home, Aleksandar Krstevski, said the renovation will cover several segments of the facility.
“Our home will have a complete renovation of the geriatric unit, from water, sewage, electricity, sanitary facilities and so on, all the way to equipment. So, as a nursing home, we will gain a lot in the quality of our services,” Krstevski said.
The “Zafir Sajto” Home is a project partner, while the lead partner is a non-governmental organization from the Municipality of Leskovac. The Municipality of Vranje and institutions from these municipalities are also involved in the project, with activities related to the renovation of social protection facilities also planned there.
According to Krstevski, the project activities are scheduled to begin from August 15, while the Kumanovo home is currently completing the necessary documentation and preparing for the public procurement procedures.
There are currently 172 residents accommodated at the home, a number which, according to the director, varies depending on the available accommodation capacity and changes in the number of residents.
Alongside infrastructure improvements, one of the biggest challenges for the home remains the shortage of staff. According to Krstevski, under the employment plan, the institution needs 27 new employees.
“We need 27 people, but according to the regulations we reviewed, that number could increase. The Council gave the green light and the decision was unanimously adopted. It has been implemented and sent to our competent ministry. Now we are waiting for their response, and after that the documentation will be submitted to the Ministry of Finance,” said Krstevski.
According to him, there is the greatest need for caregivers, but other professionals who are particularly important for caring for residents are also lacking, including a social worker, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, nurses and other professional staff.
“We mostly need caregivers, but we also don’t have a social worker, we don’t have an occupational therapist who is of great importance for our residents, together with the physiotherapist, to enable them, that is, to allow all our residents to have vital functions, to walk, move around and feed themselves. So, we need many, many categories of employees, but I think occupational therapists, sociologists, social workers, nurses and caregivers will be very much needed,” Krstevski added.
He emphasized that the work at the home is continuous and that employees face a large volume of responsibilities, given that the institution operates 24 hours a day.
“It is very difficult. Our employees make superhuman efforts. The home is in service 24 hours a day. All employees give more than 100 percent of their work engagement, everyone helps everyone, just so that our residents can receive a higher-quality service,” Krstevski said.
An additional problem is healthcare for the residents. The home has an agreement with a private medical practice, whose doctor visits twice a week, but according to the director, changes to the legislation mean that healthcare services are no longer part of the social protection system in the same way as before.
For this reason, the home is planning an initiative to provide a doctor, together with the Nursing Home for the Elderly in Prilep.
With the renovation of the geriatric unit and the planned strengthening of staffing capacity, the home expects to create better working conditions and provide higher-quality services and care for its residents.