Unwanted
Recent economic and political transformations in Poland left vast majority of the old generation facing poverty and isolation.
Family traditions of strong intergenerational bonds are rapidly changing under the influence of modern world trends. Career-oriented young people, absorbed by work, have little time for providing care to their parents and grandparents. In effect, old and sick people who are in need of constant supervision, end up in care homes. The majority of them are the ones who are most lonely and who face the worst financial and medical situations. Taking into account their meagre pensions and the poor income of their families, the burden of funding lies on the local councils and private donations, which are often not sufficient.
Boromeushki, in the town of Cieszyn in South Poland, is a care home for local sick and elderly people whose families are not able to provide sufficient care. Unlike luxurious, private retirement centres, Boromeushki is supported mainly by donations. Run by nuns, the institution is facing an unpredictable future. Every month is a struggle to make ends meet. Filled up with over a hundred patients sharing massive dorms, the home could be closed at any time, leaving its vulnerable patients without any care.
