Government Plans to Reduce Bed Count in Care Homes by 40 in 2020

The legal amendment concerning the decision No. N1112-N dated September 25, 2015, by the Government of Armenia is currently under discussion on the unified platform for the publication of legal acts. The project revises the conditions and requirements for providing round-the-clock care for the elderly and people with disabilities. It is proposed that care homes will only accept individuals who do not have a dwelling, inheritance, or other capable family members. In other cases, individuals will be offered alternative services.

The need for adopting this project arises from the government's program, which mandates the deinstitutionalization of services and the implementation of alternative services. This process implies that round-the-clock care institutions should gradually be dissolved or reorganized, and individuals in need of care should receive appropriate services based on their assessed individual needs within families, small homes, or community services.

As a first step towards deinstitutionalization, it is planned to reduce the total number of individuals cared for in round-the-clock care homes by 40 starting in 2020. Currently, there are three general-type care homes under the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, accommodating 640 beneficiaries, of which more than 60% have children, and some possess their own housing.

The existing regulations allow for elderly individuals who own a home and live with family to be admitted to a care home if there are issues within the family, such as social isolation or an unhealthy psychological environment, provided that a social worker from the territorial body of social assistance has issued a positive conclusion. As a result, the number of individuals cared for in care homes and those registered for admission has increased, while significant reductions could be made if care for these elderly individuals were provided in home settings.

In 2020, it is planned to reduce the number of individuals in care homes and instead increase the number of users of alternative services. As a result of the project's adoption, the number of individuals cared for in care homes and those applying for admission there is expected to decrease by at least 30-40%, and alternative tailored, targeted, and effective services will be provided based on the assessed needs of individuals seeking care.