The Elderly People in Russia.

Today elderly people are one of the most vulnerable strata in Russian society. On reaching certain age they find themselves in the situation of risk i.e. disability, financial deprivation, and loss of usual social networks. As a rule, elderly people live on pension, which is the main source of income. There are some transfers supplementing it: benefits in payment for flat and public utilities, transport, telephone, medicines and medical service; regional allowances and address aid. Incomes from dacha; material aid from relatives or voluntary organizations are very important for elderly people, too.

Elderly people savings are not very significant because of the devaluation in nineties and low pension. In conditions of political and social-economic instability, continuous inflation and increase in prices, the average pension is not sufficient for normal life. In connection with it, the program “Social protection of elderly people” has been started. The program includes the improvement of living conditions, services by organs of social protection, intensification of additional social protection and social insurance. The main purposes are the stabilization of elderly people’s living standard, active longevity, the development of self-providing and rational way of life. Some support programs are being carried out on the regional level. There is a network of veteran organization helping elderly people to defense their rights.

Since 1995 the federal law ‘About social service of elderly people and invalids’ has been functioning. It regulates state activity in the sphere of social protection and establishes economical, social and law guarantees for elderly people and invalids basing on principles of mercy and benevolence. In accordance with the law, social service of elderly people includes care, organization of nutrition, assistance in getting medical, legal, natural, social and psychological kinds of aid, provision of employment, organization of ritual services etc. The law presupposes that the social service is free or demands partial or full payment in dependence on current income.

The law itself does not guarantee high quality service, timely and effective support in a difficult situation. Main reasons include the shortage of personnel, scanty earnings in the sphere, low prestige of the occupation and insufficient motivation. All this causes the fluctuation in the supply of personnel.

The state law on social service with the formulation of social workers’ legal and economic rights should be accepted. Another important aspect here is the formation of highly skilled personnel having special knowledge, abilities and the potential for social innovations in the sphere of social protection. Today the sector of special personnel training is developing intensively. But university graduates cannot find job in the sphere often because of the lack of vacancies. Owing to ‘repartition’ in the sphere many former trade union leaders and party officials, people with pedagogical education are working here. Because of the evident shortage of specialists with the qualification ‘social worker’, we need a legislative state initiative providing the university graduates the first place in this sphere.

VOCABULARY

1. development - развитие

2. purpose - цель

3. support - поддержка

4. aid - помощь

5. measure - мера

6. defense - защита

7. charity – благотворительность, милосердие

8. insure – гарантировать, обеспечивать, страховать

9. contradiction - противоречие

10. right - право

11. citizen - гражданин

12. society - общество

13. community – общество, сообщество

14. condition – условие

15. labor - труд

16. market - рынок

17. justice - справедливость

18. transform – изменять, переделывать

19. according to – в соответствии с, согласно (чему-либо)

20. creation – создание

21. include – заключать, включать в себя

22. vulnerable – уязвимый

23. significant – значительный, существенный

24. sufficient - достаточный

I. Переведите на русский язык:

§ citizens’ rights

§ worthy life

§ living conditions

§ sanctity of the home

§ the realization of social justice

§ transforming countries

§ remained unsolved

§ private property

§ in accordance with

§ the package of measures

§ the prevention of social contradictions

II. Переведите на английский язык:

§ пожилые люди

§ не очень значительные сбережения

§ в связи с этим

§ уровень жизни

§ психологическая помощь

§ высококвалифицированный персонал

§ основной источник дохода

§ улучшение условий жизни

§ рыночная экономика

§ активная продолжительная жизнь

Дата добавления: 2017-02-01