• Further technical and institutional strengthening of Houses of Support (digitalization of care process; professionalization of marketing activities, financial and quality management; trainings/coaching for additional caretakers, social workers and mobile care staff)
• Securing financing for mobile care services from public and private sources (Lobbying for improvements of laws, state programs and/or standards for mobile care as well as (municipal/cantonal/state) financing mechanisms for socially vulnerable elderly, expanding mobile care services to new municipalities/regions, intensifying diaspora marketing (BiH))
• Expanding mobile care services to new municipalities/regions;
• Promoting and offering gender-sensitive Healthy Ageing activities in GE 
• Advocacy and lobbying for elderly rights among stakeholders and general awareness raising activities.
   

Hilfswerk International jointly with its partners in the last years has been actively promoting elderly rights and elderly services in the South Caucasus and Western Balkans regions. Capitalizing also on its long-standing and vast experience in the field of home care and related services in Austria, so called “Houses of Support” have been successfully established since 2021 as independent local social service providers, through intense know-how exchange. These facilities deliver high-quality nursing and psycho-social support services to older persons through mobile care and through this strengthen the local healthcare system that is faced with a by far higher demand for care services than it can address through existing providers. Thereby, working together with local and central governments plays a key role in the project’s success. Currently, promising developments are under way in both countries that reflect a rising readiness by policy makers to allocate public budgets to competent service providers to render services to older persons, especially to socially vulnerable. However, as such initiatives are still limited both in financial and geographical terms and display several organizational gaps in their practical implementation, the project is actively engaged in revisions/updates of national legal and policy frameworks to protect and advance elderly rights. In addition, the project lobbies for improvements of laws, state programs and/or standards for mobile care as well as (munici-pal/cantonal/state) financing mechanisms for socially vulnerable elderly, which in turn contribute to the further sustainable development of the established service providers and the gradually increasing accessibility of mobile home care and complementary support services for older persons. 
At the same time, sustainable changes can only happen from within the countries, thus capacity development is another key element in Phase II. Thereby a mix of different capacity building measures will be applied addressing project staff and stakeholders in different settings, based on identified gaps in know-how and skills. Internally, the focus of capacity building measures will be on the one hand on House of Support staff, especially the management and the care staff to allow for their sustained rendering of highly qualitative services. Externally, the project intends to address the capacity shortages of mobile care workforce in both countries by organizing several rounds of trainings for caretakers (home helpers), especially in the countries’ regions, complemented by trainings on gerontology for social work students and practitioners (only GE). Finally, specific capacity building measures are also envisaged for local authorities and decision makers, which could take the form of workshops, formal trainings and/or study visits.

• Clear commitment to respect for the dignity and self-determination of individuals and families, individualised support in those areas where elderly persons have difficulties or need help
• Commitment to high quality, knowledge- and evidence driven approaches to services based on professional assessment, planning, regular monitoring and transparent communication, know-how exchange with Austria and peer exchange between BiH and GE
• Holistic view of a person and its needs (fostering multi-disciplinary work and inter-agency cooperation)
• Focus on the skills, capabilities and resources of older people and their families to increase self-help potential
• Long-term vision and commitment (stimulate local ownership of public actors at local and national level, organizational and financial sustainability of developed services) 
• Utilization of electronically assisted processes and devices to better reach persons in need of care living in remote areas