They are a familiar sight throughout the villages of the Gouves Township, bringing hot meals, medication or just the company of a friendly face to elderly or infirm.

They are the team members of the Gouves Help at Home Program, and they have been providing this invaluable service to the community for the past five years.

"The program was originally created to provide services to the aged and the invalid people in the area, people who cannot avail themselves to the public health services," said Ritsa Georgiadi, the social worker who heads the team. It allows these needy people to remain in the familiarity of their homes and within the unity of the family. Also, it strives to avoid institutionalization, to insure a healthier living and generally to improve the quality of life for the shut-ins."

In addition to Mrs. Georgiadi, the dedicated team includes a nurse, Maria Hatzaki, and two family assistants, Zoe Tsitouri and Maria Hatzaki (no relation). Also members of the team are Doctor Zoe Mamoulaki and Physiotherapist Yiorgos Boubakis, who make calls as needed.

According to team members, the program also creates jobs for unemployed people, mostly women, due to the nature of the work, such as nursing and family assistance. It also liberates many individuals, mostly women again, who traditionally have to care for their elderly, so that they may enter the job market and earn a salary.

Among the many services carried out by the Help at Home team are to provide hot meals for those who need it; give counseling and psychological support for individuals and their families; carry out basic nursing and house care, and provide individual hygiene care.

"For some shut-ins we are the only link to the outside world," Mrs. Georgiadi said. "This is a large township and we are currently visiting about 150 people on a regular basis. However, we have the capabilities to care for even more – around 170 individuals."

Currently, the team provides four shut-ins with hot meals, which are donated by Gouves school cafeterias.

"Our team is assisted by several volunteers, who are very helpful," Mrs. Georgiadi said. "We can always use more volunteers, as there is always so much to do. Also, we can always use donations of food, medication drugs and clothing." 

The Help at Home Program is being realized by the Iraklion Development Agency S.A., a company which manages various programs, and in co-operation with the Gouves Township. Seventy-five percent of its budget is financed by European Social Funds and 25 percent by the Greek government.

The team works on a contractual basis, which is renewed on a regular basis, and the European funding is scheduled to come to an end in 2008. As of this date, no renewal has been proposed and the situation has caused dismay within the program.

"We are dedicated in our work, but we must be treated fairly and have some sort of security," said Mrs. Georgiadi, voicing the opinion of the entire team. "Workers of all similar programs in social care have all the insecurities which come with not knowing if their program will be refunded by additional European Social Funds.

She said the local governments should push the central government for the necessary budgets, since many times salaries are not paid over long periods, and insurance stamps are not where they should be.

Also, the team, after so many years of service, is seeking to be employed on a permanent basis as civil servants, instead of being faced with the insecurity of contract work.

FOR THE HOLIDAYS

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