As Poland’s population continues to age, Caritas Poland has for years been responding to the growing social challenges faced by older people. Its work ranges from professional care and financial assistance to initiatives designed to combat loneliness, promote physical activity and help seniors remain active participants in community life.
Across the country, Caritas has established communities that bring older people together with volunteers. It operates care facilities and programs supporting seniors who are struggling financially, living with disabilities or experiencing loneliness. At the same time, it promotes activities that encourage older people to stay physically active and maintain their intellectual abilities.
Local initiatives also play an important role. By creating opportunities for seniors to meet, socialize and take part in community activities, Caritas helps build relationships and friendships while reducing the risk of social isolation.
Responding to Individual Needs
For seniors who are sick, disabled or dependent on others, Caritas seeks forms of assistance tailored to their individual circumstances. Professional care is provided by qualified staff working for diocesan Caritas organizations in more than 250 long-term care facilities and Caritas hospices.
Thousands of volunteers trained to work with older and seriously ill people are also involved. They offer something that can be just as important as material assistance: their time, attention, commitment and human presence.
„For Everyday Shopping”: Practical Support for Those in Need
Support for seniors takes many forms. One of the largest initiatives is the „For Everyday Shopping” program, now in its ninth year and carried out in partnership with the Biedronka (chain of supermarket stores) Foundation.
The program provides financial assistance to seniors experiencing difficult life circumstances. This year, it is supporting 11,069 people across Poland. Each participant receives a prepaid card topped up with PLN 230 per month for ten months. The funds can be used at Biedronka stores to purchase food and other essential everyday items.
The program gives seniors the freedom to decide for themselves what they need most, helping them maintain a sense of independence and dignity.
But financial assistance is only one part of the initiative. Nearly 4,000 volunteers are involved, providing practical help while, above all, building relationships based on trust, kindness and respect.
More Than Material Assistance
Caritas also provides seniors with free food parcels, meals, medications and financial assistance funded by individual donors. Volunteers help with shopping and everyday errands and often prepare or deliver meals.
Through its local branches, Caritas Poland also organizes trips, walks, recreational and rehabilitation stays, social gatherings and picnics, giving older people opportunities to remain socially active and connected to others.
Physical activity is another important area of support. Together with the Multisport Foundation, Caritas Poland and diocesan Caritas organizations have developed a program encouraging seniors to stay active. Participants meet once a week at sports centres, where they exercise under the supervision of qualified trainers. The initiative was initially piloted in Bydgoszcz, Warsaw and Wroclaw.
Spiritual and Pastoral Support
Caritas recognizes that caring for older people involves more than meeting their material and physical needs. Residents of Caritas facilities can also receive spiritual support through prayer, participation in the liturgy, personal contact and spiritual accompaniment.
Special assistance is available to seniors affected by illnesses, including dementia, in clinics, treatment centres and residential care facilities. In such settings, Caritas seeks to provide not only professional care but also a sense of dignity, security and human connection.
Accompanying Seniors at the End of Life
One of the most important forms of support provided by Caritas is accompanying elderly and seriously ill people during the final stages of their lives, while also supporting their families.
This care is offered primarily through inpatient and home-based hospices. Medical and care staff, together with clergy trained for this work, accompany patients and their loved ones, providing professional, emotional and spiritual support at a particularly difficult time.
Through this broad range of initiatives, Caritas Poland seeks to ensure that growing older does not mean facing illness, financial hardship or loneliness alone. Its work combines practical assistance with something equally essential: the presence of another person, offered with dignity, compassion and respect.
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By Family News Service / Piotr Kowalczuk