"Oxfam" Office in Armenia and Economic Development and Research Center presented the results of the independent monitoring of "In-home Social Services for Lonely Elderly" state-funded program.
During the monitoring omissions were revealed in the implementation of the program for 3300 beneficiaries. In this light Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Sona Harutyunyan, who heads the monitoring service of the Ministry, has told ArmInfo's correspondent that the agency has analyzed in details several dozens of programs, part of which was improved, while state financing of those programs, in which omissions were revealed, was reallocated.
As for this particular program Harutyunyan promised that the monitoring results will be taken into consideration and in case of necessity the terms of participation in the program will be softened. According to her monitoring is very important for revealing and correcting the existing omissions.
Harutyunyan informed that the Ministry has developed and presented to the government the criteria of care for elderly people in homes and special facilities, and it was decided that first of all the needs of the elderly should be determined. At this background three categories were defined, criteria of each of them were determined. She agreed that this process still needs reforms. However, she stressed that the results of the monitoring have demonstrated that the beneficiaries of the program have positively assessed its results.
Director of Oxfam Office in Armenia Margarita Hakobyan in her turn told ArmInfo's correspondent that due care of the lonely elderly and disabled people in home conditions is a priority issue. "Our research has showed that the elderly as well as housewives are not aware that such a program exists and this is a serious omission", she noted. According to her another serous problem is that there are no journals and contracts with the beneficiaries. According to her lack of social workers is also a problem.
Summarizing, Hakobyan assured that there are enough budget funds to reduce 5-fold the number of people living in extreme poverty. "These programs make it possible to spend budgetary funds more efficiently and most importantly, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is ready for joint work and elimination of the revealed omissions", Hakobyan stressed.