Russian Government to reform psychoneurological care homes
12.04.2019
The Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, Tatiana Golikova, has ordered a plan to be developed to eliminate the violations identified as a result of the inspection of psychoneurological residential facilities (PNIs).
The instructions to reform the system of PNIs and to improve the living conditions of people with mental and psychophysical disorders were given following a meeting of the Council for Social Welfare under the Government of the Russian Federation. By June 2019, the relevant ministries and departments, together with members of the council, are to submit a plan to the government as to how to eliminate the violations identified by the inspection.
Deputy Prime Minister, Tatiana Golikova, also ordered that the concept for the functioning of the rehabilitation system for people with disabilities include measures to ensure the socialisation of people with mental and psychiatric disorders, using support technology, including services to organise assisted living, daytime employment and work.
Furthermore, a survey of citizens living in PNIs will be carried out by September 2019. Specialists will particularly evaluate the reasonableness of their presence in these institutions and their potential for socialisation. Based on the results of the study, a register of citizens needing accompanied living, training and employment will be drawn up.
According to Golikova’s instructions, it is planned to ensure the possibility of receiving professional training for citizens living in PNIs. Moreover, by May 2019, members of the Council for Social Welfare should present proposals to change the sanitary and epidemiological rules in social service organisations. According to the instruction, the living conditions in PNIs should be as close to those of the home as possible.
The inspection of PNIs and respect for citizens’ rights when providing social services began in February 2019 after orders from Tatiana Golikova.
Previously, non-profit organisations had called for a law to be adopted on “distributed care”. This draft law was adopted by the State Duma on the first reading almost three years ago, but it has not yet made it to a second reading. Adoption of the bill would allow the introduction of an institute of external guardians for people with mental disorders and would overcome the secrecy of PNIs. Experts note that the new law will give non-profit organisations the chance to take people into guardianship, since currently the only guardian for them is the director of the respective PNI.
