The Minister of Labor and Social Policy Borislav Gutsanov will meet today with representatives of municipalities to discuss options for care for the elderly, the press center of the relevant ministry announced, quoted by BTA. The talks continue efforts to find solutions to improve services after the emergency measures taken against illegal homes, as well as to activate work on the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). A media briefing is scheduled after the meeting.
One of Minister Gutsanov's first meetings was with the leadership of the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMB), to discuss the possibilities for activating the conclusion of contracts and the implementation of the reform under the project “Modernization of Long-Term Care“, so as not to lose the funds under the National Long-Term Care Plan for this, the Ministry of Social Affairs indicated. Over 750 million leva is the investment planned for this purpose. With 385 million leva, 81 of all 82 homes for the elderly will be renovated in accordance with the new requirements for the quality of social services. After the completion of the renovations, over 5,600 elderly people will live in better conditions. With the remaining funds, 254 new services for people with various types of disabilities will be built. This is expected to provide support for at least 10,000 people and their families, the Ministry of Social Affairs also noted.
At the end of June, Minister Gutsanov requested information from all mayors of municipalities about the available building stock that could be used to build new homes for the elderly. The proposals submitted by the mayors will also be discussed at the meeting. In parallel, intensified inspections of institutions to uncover illegal homes for the elderly continue.