Helping older people with dignity and care in wartime
Published: Apr 23, 2025 Reading time: 2 minutes Share: Share an articleThe war in Ukraine has hit those who were already living in difficult conditions hardest. Older people often find themselves on the edge of survival, with tiny pensions, chronic illnesses, and loneliness. Since the full-scale invasion began, many have lost everything: their homes, loved ones, and sense of safety. The Mykolaiv Geriatric Nursing Home is a care home that provides shelter for older people and people forced from their homes because of the war. We support this facility to ensure that the older and internally displaced people have decent living conditions, warmth, care and at least a little bit of peace, which they need so much in this difficult time. The boarding house is home to 130 people, 71 of whom have disabilities.
When a missile blast shattered the windows of Mariia’s home, she experienced severe stress and nearly lost her voice. After moving to the boarding house, she found not only peace but also her love. It’s been almost a year since she and Volodymyr married.
The couple live in separate rooms. We visited them at lunchtime. There was borsch, pasta with meat, and tea on the table. The centre provides four meals a day to the residents.
Mariia’s daughter, Inna, also lives in the centre. She immediately noticed Vitalii, who’s known at the facility as a jack-of-all-trades. He graduated from a vocational school and learned how to work with electronics. Now he fixes phones and computers for other residents.
Like Mariia and Volodymyr, Inna and Vitalii have married; when the returned from their wedding ceremony, the staff surprised them by decorating their room with festive touches.
In addition to care and medical support, the facility organises leisure activities. Residents can take art therapy, visit a psychologist, and the library. But older residents really lack communication.
To ensure the comfort and warmth of the residents, we replaced windows in several buildings, delivered furniture, and provided equipment for the laundry and bathrooms. We also supplied medical equipment and a charging station in case of power outages. Improving the lives of those who cannot care for themselves has been made possible thanks to a project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Despite the challenges of war, people in Ukraine deserve a dignified life, even in old age.
