SUPPORTING THE NEEDS OF ELDERLY PEOPLE THROUGH FORMAL AND INFORMAL SUPPORT NETWORKS

Abstract

The relevance of the article is due to the process of progressive aging of the population, so it requires from society to find new ways to work with the elderly and their needs’ realization. The article characterizes the current state of the category of elderly people in Ukrainian society. It is noted that support for the elderly is provided through a variety of resources, for example, formal and informal support networks, volunteering, the state, family, community, and society in general. The formal support network is implemented through the social policy of the state, which is focused on assisting in ensuring the rights of the elderly to their social protection of constitutional rights and freedoms. The aim of the article is to reveal the peculiarities of the needs’ realization of the elderly through formal and informal support networks. Research methods applied: generalization − to study the formal network of support, which is implemented through the social policy of the state and focused on constitutional rights for the elderly and social protection; analysis − combining and representing connections of individual elements, parties, components of a complex phenomenon and so in the comprehension of the whole in its components’ unity. The directions of reforming the system of social services are aimed at an authoritative legal framework, where social protection of the elderly would be enshrined at the appropriate level. They includ: deinstitutionalisation through the creation of a wide network of services and facilities that can provide quality services in the community; involvement of non-governmental organizations in the provision of social services; approach of social services to the place of residence; decentralization of management processes, financing, location of services; empowering older people to choose services and participate in the process; increasing the effectiveness of the provision of social services through the study of needs at the individual level and within individual administrative-territorial units; introduction of quality improvement technologies, including monitoring, evaluation and control.