Foster family for the elderly psychologist. Foster family for the elderly

The practice of adopting minors is habitual and widespread; huge number children, but this time I would like to talk about a relatively new and still not widely known phenomenon among the population - the creation of foster families for the elderly and disabled.

The Foster Family for the Elderly project was launched in Russia in 2004. Its essence is to help lonely (without relatives, spouses and family members) elderly people who have partially or completely lost the ability to self-service and need outside care, overcome the feeling of loneliness, maintain a decent lifestyle, receive the necessary attention, care and support not in “state institutions” (nursing homes, boarding schools, etc.), but in the circle of a foster family.

Social projects "Foster family for the elderly" are being implemented in more than thirty regions Russian Federation(in Tomsk, Rostov, Orenburg, Belgorod, Omsk, Kemerovo, Chelyabinsk, Penza, Vladimir, Moscow regions, in Perm, Krasnodar and Krasnoyarsk regions. From January 1, 2017, it is planned to launch such a project in the republics of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan. In all these regions relevant regulations have been adopted.There is currently no federal law regulating the creation and implementation of foster families for the elderly and disabled.

Centers social services of the population, work is underway to receive applications and documents from citizens wishing to organize foster family, and elderly and disabled citizens in need of outside care and who have expressed their intention to live in a foster family.

Regional legal acts quite clearly prescribe the procedure for creating and implementing a foster family, the requirements both for persons wishing to create a foster family and for citizens who wish to go to such a family.

In Internet discussions, this project causes controversy on the part of citizens and public activists, doubts are expressed that an elderly person can actually receive full-fledged care in an outside family, because sometimes old people and the disabled do not receive such care even when they are in the circle of relatives. There are also doubts about the disinterestedness of the motives of those who create such foster families and the assumption that citizens can take elderly people into their families only for the sake of monthly cash payments and other material benefits. Nevertheless, it is really difficult to overestimate the social significance of such a project.

On the one hand, lonely old man gets a chance to spend the rest of his life in the family circle, in a comfortable moral and psychological environment and possibly be useful (even if this usefulness consists in reading books to a child). On the other hand, people who accept an elderly person or a disabled person into their family get the opportunity to realize their need to help those in need, brighten up someone else's, and perhaps even their own, loneliness, prolong and facilitate someone's life, set a good example for their family members and others. For some, this can be a great opportunity to make up for their "incomplete" families - to have a parent, or grandparents for their children.

In addition, by caring for an elderly person, people give their children a clear example of a normal, traditional family way of life, in which the younger members of the family provide a dignified old age and care for the older generation.

The project of creating foster families for the elderly and disabled people is an important direction from the point of view of social significance. SO NPOs can and should be actively involved in the creation and implementation of such foster families. First of all, it should be work to popularize this idea among the population, saturate the information space with materials about such an opportunity, because often citizens, despite the abundance of information on the Internet and the media, suffer from a lack of knowledge they need. The family is the most worthy environment for any person, and it is difficult to think of anything sadder than a lonely old age.

The material was created within the framework of the project of the RPO "RUSSIAN COMMUNITY" "Activity of non-profit organizations: ways to achieve socially significant efficiency." When implementing the project, state support funds are used, allocated as a grant in accordance with the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 68-rp dated 05.04. charitable foundation"COVER".

Claudia Pavlovna is 70 years old. She no longer takes care of herself. Moves with difficulty, there are other health problems. All her youth, Claudia Pavlovna lived in St. Petersburg, although she comes from the Melenkovsky district. Her son is now abroad. He did not need a sick elderly mother. Baba Klava is just one of the wards of Olga Manych, a resident of the Osinki village. Four old people live in her house, abandoned by their loved ones. And Olga - a stranger to them by blood - accepted, saving from loneliness. There are foster families not only for children, but also for the elderly.

This grandmother is also from the Melenkovsky district, but from another village. She was 85 years old this year. She also has a daughter, a daughter in Moscow. My youngest ward is Kolya. He will be 50 years old this year alone. He doesn't have a mom and dad. Sister and brother in Moscow. Such a person is impossible in a big city. He needs an eye and an eye, right? And this is Pavel Iosifovich. He himself comes from Ukraine. Recently lived in Surgut. Then he came here to a neighboring village. His wife died, his stepson kicked him out of the house, discharged him. He is, one might say, a bum. I registered him, made him a temporary residence permit. Everyone is very kind, they don’t swear,” Olga Manych, a resident of Osinki village, told about her wards.

Looking at these people, you are convinced: old age is not joy. Pavel suffered a stroke, Nikolai was diagnosed with Downism from birth, and the second grandmother, also Claudia, barely walks, her legs fail. But Olga is not afraid of such difficulties. She gained experience in caring for the elderly after working in a nursing home near Moscow. Then there was study under the program "Foster family for the elderly and disabled." Now Olga has the status of "Assistant". And it all started a few years ago.

Somehow I decided to take my own uncle from a nursing home. It was a long time ago, six years ago. He was 87 years old, he was a participant in the war. Well, it so happened that his wife died, there were no children. He didn't like being in the nursing home. Not sweet honey, - Olga shares.

She took care of her uncle until the last days of his life. Then she decided to help sick and abandoned old people. Olga's personal tragedy also echoed in this.

This year will be 30 years since my parents died in a car accident. That's why I like doing it. I understand them, the elderly. I understand perfectly, - says Olga Manych.

Olga transferred all her unspent tenderness and care to these old people. At the same time, she herself has a family: a husband, two daughters, two grandchildren. And there could be another son - the middle one.

They moved from apartment to apartment, they did not have their own housing. It was like this: you wear it here, you carry it there, everything is on you. That's why - premature birth and couldn't save. I didn't see, I didn't bury. Mother-in-law did this. I was, one might say, in a blackout, - Olga says with tears in her eyes.

She always dreamed that she had a son. There were thoughts to take the child from orphanage. But it needs to be brought up, raised. There is no need to educate the elderly, the main thing for them is to live their life in peace.

Pity the children. They show on TV - straight soul is torn to pieces. But with children - no, it's better with old ones. Anyway, someone will either take the children, or somehow they will go their own way. They know how to serve themselves, they know how to stand up for themselves. And an old man, an invalid - how will he stand up for himself? He can be offended: with a word, and physically, and morally. I feel sorry for them most of all, - says Olga.

She quit her regular job at the cannery. She dedicated herself to caring for the elderly. For each person, Olga receives a salary - seven thousand nine hundred rubles a month, minus income tax. Part of the pension of the wards also goes to the general family budget: to pay utility bills, food, hygiene items. According to the law, they have to keep 25 percent of their pension for pocket expenses. Nikolay, for example, is a neat person. Not only helps Olga - sweep the floor, wash dishes, but also takes care of herself. Deodorant, mouthwash, mints are always in his nightstand. This is what pocket money is for.

While Nikolai showed us his possessions and treated us to candies, it was time for dinner. Pork soup, second, compote, apple pie. Olga cooks a lot. For Claudia Pavlovna, she also kneads food. A good help is a vegetable garden and farming, says Olga. All his own - eggs, chicken meat, milk from the goat Katyusha. And, of course, fruits and vegetables.

Of course, I wouldn't be able to do this alone. Thanks to my husband - well done. It's all on him. I hardly ever go out here. Yes, take a look. This is all he, well done, helps, - Olga thanks her husband.

Olga has one more assistant - a neighbor Lyubov Yegorovna. When the Manychs leave for the city to live with their youngest daughter, Lyubov Yegorovna comes to feed their wards. And every time she is amazed at the cleanliness in the house and Olga's attitude towards the elderly.

Somehow, everything turns out to be quiet, calm. She will never yell at them. That's how many times I visit them, never yell. This is hard work. But noble, noble work. Apparently, such a person. Kind, - says Olga's neighbor Lyubov Yegorovna.

Lyubov Egorovna knows firsthand what it's like to take care of a bedridden person. She herself has a 90-year-old sister whom she takes care of.

Everyone is now handed over somewhere to boarding schools or to homes for the disabled. But they say it's hard to get there. There is probably a lot, there is always a queue, - Lyubov Yegorovna laments.

In the department social protection of the population of the administration of the Vladimir region, we were told that there really is a queue for stationary social services.

At the beginning of the year, this order was eliminated. Thanks to the commissioning of new stationary institutions in the cities of Murom, Vyazniki, Selivanovsky and Murom districts. To date, taking into account the appeals of citizens, the order has been formed. But small. And, since we are now building other institutions - today we are building in the Sobinsky district, the Arbuzov psycho-neurological boarding school is expanding, it will be for a hundred places, - taking into account the introduction of new institutions, of course, we hope the priority will be eliminated, - she commented on the situation Deputy Director of the Department of Social Protection of the Population of the Administration of the Vladimir Region Natalya Golubeva.

The development of other forms of social services also helps here: a foster family, paid guardianship.

If we take the beginning of the creation and development of this form, it has been valid with us since 2013. And its development began somewhere with ten families. Well, today, of course, we have 102 foster families and 111 residents. That is, the statistics increase every year, - Natalya Golubeva, deputy director of the department of social protection of the population of the administration of the Vladimir region, voices the figures.

So, in the Vladimir region, 111 elderly people live in foster families. The average capacity of one nursing home is one hundred people. It turns out that as many people live at home as an entire government institution could fill. And this is a good indicator. Olga Manych area allows you to take another old man. So, perhaps, soon her wards will be five. Let's reveal one more secret: on October 1, on the Day of the Elderly, Olga is preparing a surprise for them - a huge cake with the inscription: "To my dearest!".

old age in real life- this is usually a period when help and support is needed in order to survive. This is especially true for lonely elderly people.

Let us highlight the main problems faced by this category of citizens: loneliness, psychological discomfort, feeling of uselessness, despair from helplessness, poor health, which leads to the loss of the ability to self-service, leads to the impossibility of independent living, low income, the inability to pay for the services of a permanent nurse, and etc. In addition, most older people are afraid of the official conditions of boarding schools.

Along with the existing forms of social services for the elderly and disabled, new forms are emerging, among which a special place is occupied by a foster family for the elderly. The idea of ​​using this form of work arose in the search for ways to reduce the waiting list for nursing homes and the development of an alternative model for the life of citizens in this category.

The scheme for helping the elderly is simple: elderly people who, for health reasons, can hardly serve themselves, are offered to live not in a nursing home, but in a foster family.

A foster family is organized for single elderly and disabled citizens who have partially or completely lost the ability to self-service and who, for health reasons, need constant care, supervision and family care. The main tasks of this form of social service are the creation of a family environment for single citizens, the psychological rehabilitation of the individual and the provision of social services.

The foster family, on the basis of the formation of a joint budget, assumes obligations to maintain and provide an elderly person with the necessary care, food, medicines, everyday items, provide first aid, medical support, organize a common life, leisure based on mutual respect, creating a favorable psychological climate .

A foster family is a good way out for a lonely elderly person. Thanks to support, an elderly person develops a sense of security, he understands that he is cared for, valued and respected. In addition, by doing housework to the best of my ability, helping the rest of the foster family with housekeeping, an elderly person gains a sense of confidence in his usefulness, which helps him revive his interest in life and contributes to a quality life.

A prerequisite is the conclusion of all project participants ( foster parent, an elderly person and a social service center) a tripartite agreement, which details the procedure for organizing a foster family, the rights and obligations of the parties, and the conditions for terminating the agreement. The contract should become a guarantor of protection for both the elderly person and the adoptive parent.

Prior to concluding an agreement with members of the host family and with the future ward, specialists from the Polyarnozorinsky Complex Center for Social Services for the Population work (specialists in social work, psychologist), “trial days” are held when the project participants get to know each other, living together and running a joint household for a certain time, i.e. "Look at each other."

Simultaneously with the contract, a foster family passport is issued - a document containing basic information about the members of the foster family, movable and immovable property of a person providing social services and a person in need of social services, social and living conditions of the family, family problems, terms and methods of their solutions; contributing to the implementation of control over the observance of the interests of an elderly person. This will allow you to control all aspects of the activities of the foster family.

Special attention should be paid to the social significance of a foster family for an elderly person:

• firstly, the problem of the life arrangement of lonely elderly citizens is removed; - secondly, they are provided with constant care;
• thirdly, a sharp increase in the queue for inpatient services is prevented.

On the other hand, a foster family is also interested in such a status, since it gets an opportunity for additional income, which is especially important, for example, for rural residents.

Living in foster families in the conditions of market relations should be mutually beneficial, only then it will be in demand from both sides.

There are several options for a foster family for an elderly person, for example:

• the family, under the terms of the relevant agreement on the conditions of joint residence and housekeeping, hosts a lonely elderly person;
• a lonely elderly person who has his own housing provides the family, on the terms of the contract, with his apartment for living and joint housekeeping.

"Adoption" of single pensioners in the Murmansk region is still only an experiment. At present, the Ministry social development is working to identify the most promising model of a foster family in all municipalities of the region.

Due to the fact that there is a need to legally regulate the issues of remuneration of persons from a foster family, the costs of maintaining the elderly, as well as issues related to their property and housing, the institutions of the social protection system of the population of the Murmansk region are monitoring to study the opinions of the inhabitants of the Kola peninsula about a foster family, proposals are being prepared for regulatory legal documents.

What to do if an elderly person has no relatives left? Foster families are here to help. Site for pensioners "My Years" ( moi-goda.com ) figured out how to find a family for lonely elderly people.

It happens that the elderly are left completely alone, or relatives are too far away to help them. In such cases, the practice of living in boarding houses is quite widespread, for example, in boarding houses for the elderly "care for loved ones" , but in ancient times, judging by Viktor Berdinsky's book "Russia and the Russians" (1994), it was customary to take lonely elderly people to families in order to help the elderly.

Foster family for the elderly

In our time, this practice has been carried out at the state level since 2007. The pioneer was the Samara region, where in the first year of the project about 150 elderly people found a new family.

Among these pensioners was Zoya Khasanova from the village of Utevka, Samara Region. A little earlier, the pensioner was left homeless, and none of her relatives.

The Orlov family came to the rescue. Galina and Valery unanimously decided to help their grandmother and accepted, as native person. Galina is now paid a small salary - a rate social worker, about 4000 rubles. The money is small, but the business was not started for the sake of money.

Plus to the family budget - benefits for utility bills. The amount of remuneration, by the way, is individual for each region, and you can clarify it in the department of social protection.

Care in exchange for accommodation

The family in the new composition can conduct a joint household both on the living space of the foster family and on the "squares" of the pensioner. This happened, for example, with Alexandra Efimovna Fomivko. A few years ago, she lost her son due to tragic circumstances. Her house is big, but it's lonely in such a house alone. Yes, and to bring the same water or chop wood - for the grandmother, work is overwhelming. In search of help, Alexandra Efimovna went to the department of social protection. There she was told that a young family lives not far from her. Yes, they have problems with housing.

It turned out that the Demchenko family, Alexander and Nadezhda, decided to move from the city to the village. But they could not find suitable housing for their finances, so they lived with those who sheltered. Then the house in which they lived was sold by the owners, and there was absolutely nowhere to live.

It turned out that both sides helped each other: the grandmother helped the young with housing, and the young worked on the housework. Nadezhda Demchenko shared her impressions of a new family member with a Komsomolskaya Pravda correspondent:

“She is a lonely grandmother, she needs care, but my husband and I agreed. At first they looked at each other, and then they began to run the household together: cook, clean the house and the yard. The holidays were also celebrated by one family.

Each region has its own experience, while little

The practice of creating foster families for the elderly is not available in all regions of the country, but every year there are more such regions, territories and republics.

For example, in the Irkutsk region, they began to develop regulatory documents for the implementation of this new form services – creation of foster families for the elderly.

“Foster families raising children from orphanages are no longer a rarity in our region. The same technology, but in relation to lonely old people, can start working in the Irkutsk region as early as 2018, - says Vladimir Rodionov, Minister of Social Development, Guardianship and Guardianship of the Irkutsk Region. - By the end of 2017, specialists will have to conduct a survey and find out how many elderly people want to live in a foster family and how many guardians are ready to accept a lonely old man into a family. Then it is necessary to submit draft regulatory legal acts for public discussion and adopt an appropriate law.”

Today, the technology of a foster family for the elderly is used in almost 30 subjects of the Federation. So, there are foster families for the elderly in Buryatia and the Trans-Baikal Territory.

However, in none federal law related to the social protection of the population, there is no concept of "foster family for an elderly person." Therefore, each region, which considered it possible to introduce this technology, went its own way. Optimal solution– Adopt a regional law that clearly spells out all the conditions for creating a foster family and registration of guardianship of the elderly.

Care of the elderly

How can a pensioner get a job in a foster family, and for those who want to create a foster family, how to arrange custody of the elderly?

There are certain requirements for the future family of an elderly person. For example, a family should be no more than two people. All family members must be healthy and without any abnormalities.

Here is a list of documents that will be required for an application to the social security authorities for the creation of a foster family:

• A copy of a passport or other document proving the identity of a person who has expressed a desire to organize a foster family, and confirming residence (registration) in the region in which he takes care of an elderly person;
  
• A copy of the legal act on the appointment of a person (persons) in need (in need) of social support as an assistant;
  
• A statement on the composition of the family of the person who has expressed a desire to organize a foster family, indicating the size of the total area of ​​the residential premises occupied by him;
  
• Certificate of absence from the person who expressed a desire to organize a foster family, and all members of his family living together with him, infectious diseases or mental illness, drug addiction, substance abuse, alcoholism;
  
• Written consent of all adult family members of a person who has expressed a desire to organize a foster family to live together with a person in need of social support.

Within 25 calendar days, social protection specialists will check the submitted documents and make their verdict: can the family take custody of the pensioner.

Relations in the future family are fixed by a tripartite agreement: on the part of the elderly person, the organizer of the foster family and the department of social protection. In addition, every month, social security will check the conditions in which an elderly person lives.

When registration of guardianship and the creation of a foster family is prohibited

There are several points, because of which it is not possible to accept a pensioner into the family. For example, if the parties are close relatives. The same applies to those who need specialized medical care.

They will not be allowed to accept a pensioner even if at least one family member is against it. The quadrature of the living space is also taken into account. If the adoption of an elderly person into the family leads to the fact that the norm of living quarters for each family member will be less than the norm, then such a family will also be refused.

Pensioners and disabled people are the most vulnerable category of citizens in our country. To take such a person into the family under guardianship is a huge responsibility and burden.

Lonely old people, except for such families, will only be helped by a nursing home, where good human relations and care are not always enough.

Specialists will also monitor nursing homes for the elderly

Photo TASS

What will the country benefit from the Strategy of Action for Senior Citizens? What problems of pensioners should be paid attention to in the first place? Elena Bibikova, a member of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy, spoke about this in the press center of the Parliamentary Newspaper.

- Elena Vasilievna, why did you need to develop such a strategy?

Today, almost every fourth inhabitant of Russia is a pensioner, by 2030 there will be about 28 percent of elderly people. The problem of population aging is irreversible and relevant for the whole world. The main factors influencing this process are a decrease in the birth rate and an increase in life expectancy. If 10 years ago we said that the average life expectancy was 67-68 years, then at the beginning of this year it was 72 years. In this regard, it is necessary to create conditions for a qualitative change in the lives of older citizens.

The strategy of action in the interests of older citizens, adopted by the Government of the Russian Federation in 2016, contains two main directions. On the one hand, measures are envisaged to improve social services for those who need constant or occasional outside assistance. Here, the availability of social services at home, and the improvement of the quality of service in stationary institutions, and the development of mobile forms of service are important. The second direction is activities designed to prolong the active longevity of a person, to make his life as eventful as possible - after all, the more he is busy and in demand, the longer he will be healthy.

At the same time, it is important to understand that the strategy can be implemented only under one condition - close interaction between the authorities, the business community, public organizations and the citizen himself. Responsibility for the implementation of the strategy lies with the executive authorities, that is, specific measures should be developed in the regions to implement its provisions.

Elena Bibikova PHOTO: Igor Samokhvalov

One of the important problems that, unfortunately, pensioners face is the queues in boarding schools and, to put it mildly, not the best living conditions in them. How will the problem be solved?

I worked in the social protection system for a long time and I remember very well the deplorable state of boarding schools in the 1990s. Recently, the situation has changed fundamentally both in terms of the material and technical base, and in terms of attitudes towards the people who live there. A lot of money has been invested in the repair of existing institutions and the construction of new ones.

Today we want to see these houses in such a way that they feel comfortable and cozy, the people living there must understand that they are needed, that they are taken care of. Recently I saw one of these institutions in the Vladimir region - it is not even called a boarding house (the very name scares people), but a boarding house. Pensioners there, with a gleam in their eyes, talk about how they live, what they are passionate about, what beading and embroidery circles are there ... There is even a dance school there!

Our country needs institutions of a new type, and pilot projects for their creation are already being worked out in seven regions. At the same time, it is important to take into account that, unfortunately, not everything is determined by the material and technical base, a lot depends on the human factor.

Work in this area is ongoing. In the near future, within the framework of the federal project “ The older generation» parties « United Russia» monitoring of stationary institutions will be carried out. Members of the public will assess the current state of affairs in boarding schools.

And yet, despite all the measures taken by the state, in many subjects the queue for these institutions remains. Its elimination is the most important task. It is obvious that people go there out of hopelessness - they are either alone, or their children are far away, and for health reasons they cannot serve themselves. And so they turn there - and there is a queue for 50 or 100 people. It turns out that we have to wait, but we live here and now ... That is why it is very important that other forms of social service develop along with stationary services.

- What do you have in mind?

The first, of course, is the availability and high quality of social services at home. If it is difficult for a person to get to a pharmacy, to buy food for himself every day, but at the same time he can live independently in a familiar and comfortable environment for him, then social services should take on the solution of such problems.

The receipt by citizens of social services at home ensures the extension of the period of residence in the usual, home conditions, the preservation of the usual social circle, which for older citizens is an important component for maintaining a positive perception of life, understanding oneself as a sought-after part of society, and maintaining the maximum possible independence.

The second is the development of mobile, remote and stationary forms of service. Mobile teams may include both social and medical workers, and lawyers, employees pension fund and even barbers. This is especially convenient for residents of rural areas, because they often need to travel tens of kilometers in order to visit one specialist.

In 30 regions of Russia, the institution of a foster family for the elderly has been developed. As a rule, in rural areas, in cities it is more difficult to implement it. There are, for example, grandparents who, for health reasons, must be placed in a stationary institution. But they cannot “break away” from the place where they have lived all their lives. Everything there reminds them of happy life… In this case, a family that lives nearby can take grandma or grandpa home with them. She takes them in, and the authorities pay compensation to such a family for caring for a pensioner. Plus, such a family will receive part of the pension of an elderly person.

Let me remind you that the elderly who live in boarding schools donate 75 percent of their pensions there for their services, and the same mechanism will operate here. Thus, several problems are solved at once. Firstly, children in this family see an example of attitude towards elders. Secondly, this is material support for the family, while the pensioner himself remains in his familiar environment. This situation is also beneficial for the region: keeping people in boarding schools is quite expensive. Of course, control over what happens in such a family is important here. It is necessary to make sure that these grandparents are treated well there, there is no violence against them: people at this age are as defenseless as children. Control over how a person lives in a foster family is entrusted to social protection centers, they must visit this family regularly.

Improving various forms of social services is a very important area of ​​work, but still the main focus, the society itself should make on maintaining active human longevity.

- How are health programs for pensioners developing in our country?

In my opinion, human health largely depends on the attitude towards oneself. Healthy lifestyle, movement, good nutrition, exercise physical education. But the creation of conditions that provide an opportunity for citizens of the older generation to conduct healthy lifestyle life and systematically engage in physical culture, is already the task of the state. The same Nordic walking. Isn't the local government able to organize it? It's not at all expensive - to purchase special sticks, hire instructors who will show you how to move.

I consider it very important to shift the emphasis in our medicine from the provision of curative care to prevention. Early diagnosis chronic non-communicable diseases and risk factors for their development reduces morbidity, disability and mortality.

We can achieve a serious increase in the level of medical care for the elderly by developing the science of "geriatrics" and the branch of "gerontology". No matter how much effort and means we invest in health improvement, and even in the prevention of the population, it is impossible to approach the problem of active longevity without a new scientifically based integrated approach. Unfortunately, today the science of "geriatrics" is only developing. The existing number of gerontological centers for our country is not enough, there are also not enough gerontologists. Now 7-10 such specialists are trained a year, plus professional postgraduate retraining is carried out. We really need to train doctors who can serve pensioners in the complex. A good gerontological center should be at least in every district, in each region there should be several gerontologists.

Traveling is a unique means of rehabilitation, it makes it possible to expand the circle of contacts, exchange knowledge and experience, establish new and diverse contacts that help to receive the necessary life support. Therefore, the impact of tourism on maintaining health and improving the performance of the body is enormous.

Also for wellness, for the desire to live, it is important to have a hobby, to do something interesting. Visiting theaters, museums, exhibitions, self-development and self-education, fills life with new meaning, emotionally nourishing a person.

I represent the Pskov region in the Federation Council, and we have a very strong Union of Pensioners in our region. There our elderly people even teach foreign languages- English, French and German. I ask why you do this? They explain: “You see, we have an old city, many tourists come, maybe I can even give a tour ... And also, interestingly, my memory has become better.”

But here it is very important that at the head of public organizations, as well as state institutions of social service, there are people who are not indifferent ...

- Who is easier to retire - men or women?

In retirement, all citizens experience positive emotions. If you continue to work for some time, the pension is considered as additional material support, regardless of the quality of your work. But the very dismissal from work, women are perceived easier. As a rule, she has a lot of activities: children, grandchildren, parents ...

Men have a slightly different situation associated with the appearance of a lot of free time and a feeling of lack of demand. Activity sharply decreases, a feeling of unfulfillment appears ... This is what brings certain suffering, up to depression ... And what is depression? This is digging in yourself, experiences. All this eventually leads to diseases with all the ensuing consequences.

So I would like to wish all pensioners in our country to be busy to the maximum - with all kinds of hobbies, learning new skills, communicating with young people, and even feasible employment, if there is a desire and opportunity. Take care of what you never had time for. As long as we are moving, as long as we are in demand, we live.