At the end of March, Narva will complete the construction of 10 new buildings to house elderly people in need of round-the-clock care. Unfortunately, the project will not solve all the problems resulting from Narva's rapidly aging population.

"We have waiting lists for round-the-clock care. And now, as we plan our budget and activities for 2026, we can say with confidence that these buildings will be occupied within a year because there is such a need for them. The need is many times greater than what we are seeing now and what we will see starting from June," explained Tatiana Stolfat, head of the Narva Social Work Center (Narva Sotsiaaltöökeskus).

The care home for the elderly already operating in Narva is already also full to capacity. However., when deciding what services to offer to elderly people who cannot cope on their own, it ought to be considered that in addition to nursing homes, there is a gentler option – home care, which is also offered in the city at the municipal level.

"Some people only need help once a week, for example, with going to the store. Sometimes people are afraid to go outside because of the weather – if the roads are slippery or covered with snow. There are also clients who are more in need, whom we visit much more often because they have no one else, so we need to ensure that they have a normal life and a normal quality of life," Stolfat explained.

There are other ways to help elderly people who need it as a result of serious health problems. Narva Hospital, for instance, has a nursing care department, which is not just a place for supervision, but also provides comprehensive medical care for patients.

"This department is intended not just for care, but also for medical care. We mainly work with patients who have a fairly large range of chronic illnesses," said Galina Kuznetsova, senior nurse at the Narva Hospital's nursing department.

"After flare-ups, patients are admitted to the active treatment department, where they receive specific assistance and their treatment regimen is adjusted. In our department, we continue to monitor these patients and help them adapt to their situation – to the health issues they will have to live with in the future, for example," Kuznetsova explained.

"Take a patient who has had a stroke, for example. Of course, relatives are often very confused by the patient's condition and concerned that they do not know how to cope at home. That's what we're here for. The patient comes to us, and the relatives have time to prepare and learn about it, as well as decide how the patient will carry on after what has happened to them," Kuznetsova added.

The rapidly aging population is a reality that Narva is already facing today.

More and more elderly people need support, the specificities of which vary a lot depending on their health and life situation. The city offers several forms of assistance, ranging from home care to round-the-clock medical support. But with growing demand, the main issue remains the same: how to ensure people in vulnerable situations are not left to cope alone, and that their loved ones know help is available and can be sought.

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