The Covid19 pandemic impacted how we understand and practice care. The imperative of safety in this crisis demands that people refrain from close and direct contacts. As the virus is particularly dangerous for the elderly, they are by far the most affected by pandemic-imposed restrictions while at the same time often needing close care.
To care for someone and establish a caring relationship, proximity is necessary (Noddings 2013). Caring implies apprehending another’s reality, understanding their nature, way of living, needs and desires (Noddings 2013). It means hearing the voice of the cared for. In line with this, a human rights based approach to elderly care stresses that the beneficiaries of care (the elderly) should participate in all decisions about the care and support they are receiving (ENNHRI 2017). Strong social support, both practical and emotional, expressed through closeness is recognized as a key source of life satisfaction in old age (Vaillant, 2012) and yet the Covid19 pandemic has made closeness potentially life threatening for the elderly.
Our project endeavors to understand what happens when physical closeness becomes an impediment to care and detect “alternatives” – unseen paths of care for the elderly in two municipalities in Serbia.
The project is strongly action oriented and brings science closer to policy and practice by fostering cooperation and partnerships between four stakeholders – academic institute (IFDT), community partner experienced in advocacy for vulnerable groups (A11), providers of elderly care and beneficiaries of care (the elderly people).The formal partners of this project are Bojana Radovanović, Adriana Zaharijević and Ljiljana Pantović (P.I.) at the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade (IFDT) and A11 – Initiative for Economic and Social Rights.