EU funds help: Independent housing in Hazlov replaced institutional care

The Karlovy Vary Region has the smallest population of all regions, but it pays special attention to the care for people with disabilities. In recent years, several projects have been created here to help disabled people integrate into everyday life. One of them was the construction of sheltered housing in Hazlov.
 
The transformation of social services is a long-term process aimed at abandoning the model of care in large facilities, such as institutions, and replacing them with community-based services in smaller facilities. Ideally, these are shared households that allow for natural integration into community life in the place where such houses are located. The project in Hazlov put this approach into practice.
 
A HOUSE INSTEAD OF AN INSTITUTION
"Specifically, these are family houses where these people live permanently. Each client has their own room while the kitchen and bathroom are shared. There is also a room designated for the staff on duty that takes care of clients during the day and helps them," Lenka Kyrianová, director of the Karlovy Vary branch of the Centre for Regional Development described the investments in the region. The goal of these projects is for clients to live in a standard environment that will enable them to actively integrate into society and the labour market.
 
Three new barrier-free family houses were built in Hazlov, not as an enclosed social service area but as a natural part of the local development. This solution supports daily contact with the surroundings, neighbourly relations and a sense of belonging to the community.

“Two of the houses serve as a home for twelve adults with a high level of support. Each of them functions as a group household for six users. They live separately in their own single rooms and share a combined kitchen/ living/ dining room," said Pavla Paprskářová, head of the Investment Projects Unit I of the Karlovy Vary Regional Authority.

The service includes continuous supervision and support from staff in daily activities. The third house is intended for sheltered housing and offers two separate barrier-free households for four people with a medium level of support. The users live here in pairs, including the possibility of cohabitation, and have a higher level of independence while receiving the necessary support.
 
THEY LIVE WITH DIGNITY AND IN A NICE HOME
A comparison with a stay in an institution shows the benefits of such community care. The users of houses in Hazlov largely live life on their own terms. They decide for themselves what they will do, how they will spend their free time. Instead of institutional meals, it's up to them what they cook and eat. They primarily choose based on what they would like to eat in the moment. Assistants help them with what they cannot do on their own. For example, with self-care or cleaning. This approach significantly improves the quality of life of people with disabilities. They can become more independent and cope with their health problems more easily.

According to experts, the change of environment itself is also a significant benefit. In Hazlov, they live in a nice house and they also have access to the adjacent garden, which generally has a calming effect for them and gives them a sense of home that they often did not know before moving in.

Since its inception, the project has emphasized respecting human dignity, rights, and personal decisions of users. The created environment supports the development of skills, meaningful spending of free time, and gradual integration into the labour market and social life.
 
The implementation of the project was supported by EU funds in the amount of CZK 21.33 million, with total costs exceeding CZK 28 million. Staff facilities were also created, including a room with a bathroom for administrative and organizational activities.

An integral part of the project was the introduction of modern principles of community care, individual support plans, and the involvement of users in running the households and in leisure activities.
 
THANKS TO EU FUNDS, CLIENTS COULD LEAVE INSTITUTIONAL CARE. Three houses have been built in Hazlov near Cheb, providing a home for people with mental and physical disabilities. The households enable them to live independent lives. Naturally, assistant support is provided as needed by each user. EU funds helped to build this facility with more than CZK 21 million. The project is part of the transformation of social services, gradually taking place throughout the Czech Republic. Photo: archive of the Karlovy Vary Region
 
Photo: archive of the Karlovy Vary Region