Neighbourhood services from 1 November this year
31.10.2023
On 1 November this year, an amendment to the Social Assistance Act comes into force, which introduces, among other things, neighbourhood services as a new form of care services. Municipalities that decide to implement this form of support will be able to obtain funding under the Senior Citizens’ Support Corps.
The newly introduced neighbourhood services will be the responsibility of the municipality but will not be mandatory. In practice, this means that the municipality itself will decide whether it will provide care services in this form. It will also be able to decide whether, when organising a neighbourhood service in its area, it will use the possibility of outsourcing it to NGOs.
Depending on individual needs and opportunities, the local authority will decide on the form in which cooperation with neighbourhood carers shall be undertaken (in most cases, the basis for such cooperation will be a contract of mandate or voluntary work).
Subsidised neighbourhood services
Although neighbourhood services will be funded by the municipality, local authorities will be able to apply for up to 80 % of the cost under the 2024 Senior Citizens’ Support Corps. Its budget is PLN 50 million.
The programme will run from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024 and is addressed to all municipalities in Poland, whether urban, rural or urban-rural.
The target audience of the programme will be seniors aged 60 and over, who have difficulty living independently due to health reasons, who run independent households or live with relatives who are unable to provide them with sufficient support.
The programme includes two modules.
The aim of Module I is to provide care services in the form of neighbourhood services to seniors aged 60 and over.
The neighbourhood services provided under Module I will include assistance with basic living needs, basic hygiene and care, which should be understood as forms of support that do not require specialist knowledge and competence, and, where necessary and possible, the provision of contact with the community.
The aim of Module II, on the other hand, will be to improve the safety and ability of older people to live independently in their place of residence by increasing access to so-called distance care, and to support municipalities in providing care services.
Under this module, municipalities will be able to receive financial support to subsidise the purchase, as well as the cost of using so-called wristbands or other safety devices, and to subsidise the cost of using wristbands or other safety devices purchased under the Senior Citizens’ Support Corps programme between 2022 and 2023.