54 deaths in social home in 2001

2002 news

By Slavka Kukova, BHC

Fifty-four people died in the social home for adults with dementia in the village of Bistrilica, near Berkovitsa, according to the home's medical files in 2001. These were mainly men and women over 60 whose relatives could not or would not look after them, and who were diagnosed with dementia. Some of them were sent to the home a fortnight or month prior to their death. The cause of death was missing in the medical files.

The capacity of the Bistrilica home is 55 people; 54 were admitted in 2001. Thirty-nine clients were staying in the home during the visit of the BHC researcher.

The whole building of the social home is in desperate need of repair. The rooms are heated with wooden stoves. The plaster on the walls is falling off as a result of leaks in the lavatories and rooms, the window panes have rotted, and the walls and ceilings are covered in mould. The only place where you can find hot water is the kitchen, from where bucketfuls of it are taken to the bed-ridden clients. The rest take a partial wash once a week. Showering is out of the question. The home's warehouse was stacked with foodstuffs whose expiry date had passed 2-3 months ago.

The clients spend their day in a room 'furnished' with nothing more than three benches and two lines of laundry. Once inside, they are locked and supervised through a hole in the door. A Dutch foundation had donated a TV set and a VCR some time ago, but the staff removed them from the daytime room fearing that one of the more aggressive clients might damage them.

A total of 19 people work in the home. The Berkovitsa municipality has refused to give the home funding for extra personnel for lack of funds, although the home is entitled to more people according to the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy.

The issue of moving the home to a former kindergarten in a neighbouring village is being considered by the Berkovitsa municipal council. The state officials visited the home on 10 December 2001 and inspected the premises and met with the homes clients. It is however unclear why the issue is addressed in the middle of winter when the home's personnel was forced to work in sub-zero temperatures.

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