Public Defender Levan Ioseliani is echoing the TV story relating to the gravest situation in the NursingHomefor Older Personslocated in the 8^th micro-district of Rustavi.

The TV story[1] aired by TV Pirveli on July 1, 2023 reported about serious violations of the rights of older persons, alleged violence and ill-treatment against them, and improper sanitary-hygienic conditions. The Public Defender of Georgia has already applied to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia to respond to the alleged offence.

The systemic violations in private long-term care institutions for older persons and the lack of appropriate state supervision and control mechanisms have been constantly emphasized in the Public Defender’s reports. Moreover, the State does not even know the exact number of such institutions.

The Public Defender’s Office has revealed a number of violations within the monitoring of long-term care facilities for older persons subject to state control. The risks of violation of the rights of older persons and violence against them are even higher in the so-called private long-term care facilities, in the absence of state control.

The Public Defender will follow the response by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia to the above-mentioned case and will continue to work on the systemic problems identified in terms of protection of the rights of older persons within the scope of his authority. The Public Defender also calls on the Ministry of IDPs from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia to register all the private long-term care facilities for older persons and start discussions on the creation of an effective mechanism for their control.

[1] Information available at: < https://bit.ly/3rebLJC>.