ABSTRACT

Main trends and evolutions of social services in care sector for the old people in Poland seem to be decreasing participation of family in care of their members, deinstitutionalization of public care: from residential homes to home care services, development of care provided by unpublic services and decentralization of care social services. Most difficult situation in care services for the old people seems to be in rural areas where lives over 38% of Polish population, most of them (70%) still working in agriculture. Rural areas are underdeveloped regions of Poland with widespread long term unemployment and poverty, lower educated, religious and conservative residents and shortage of public and no private home care services.

Key words: old people, care services, rural areas.

Trends and evolutions of social services in care sector in Poland

Decreasing participation of family in care of family members

In the Polish tradition family has fulfilled care functions towards the elderly, handicapped or ill members. Still in the 1980s investigations (Kotlarska-Michalska 1990) confirmed this role of the family despite the development of public institutions of social care. Families of chronically ill, disabled and elderly provided home care services performing such home duties as: cleaning, cooking, washing, help in settling formalities at offices as well as through spiritual support. This way 87% of old people received care and protection from families and only 13% from neighbors and different institutions.