Institutionalization of long-term care for the elderly: the experience of St. Petersburg

Abstract

The increase in life expectancy and the growth of the elderly population in the Russian Federation, including in St. Petersburg, dictates the need for changes in the areas of social services and health care. This is not surprising, aging today has become a global process that has different mechanisms of formation and differs by country and territory. But the sociological theoretical study of the topic of aging is still insufficient. European states rely on demographic trends, which determine a new approach to assessing the available resources, prospects for the development and improvement of social service systems in the direction of long-term care for the elderly. It is important, while maintaining continuity in the work of the social services established in the 1990s, to actively include the family, NGOs and volunteerism in the development of these institutions. The purpose of this article is to analyze the achievements and barriers to the institutional development of long - term care for the elderly in St. Petersburg. Methodically, the article is based on the analysis of legal acts regulating the development of long-term care, mainly in St. Petersburg. For the care system to take shape, it requires the participation of families, NGOs and volunteer resources, as well as the study of the best Russian and international experience.