Social programs

We strive to help elderly and disabled people who cannot take care of themselves.

The Russian Red Cross Mercy Service provides home-based, semi-patient and inpatient care for disabled people, the elderly with disabilities, and elderly people living alone, who are unable to look after themselves.

In 1960, a nursing home care service for lonely patients, war and labour veterans was established, later it was renamed the Mercy Service. Originally staffed by 10 nurses, in 2022 the Mercy Service of the regional branches of the Russian Red Cross brought together hundreds of nursing aides, social workers and healthcare assistants. There are also more than 1,100 volunteers involved in the work of the Service. Sisters of Mercy help single and lonely disabled and pensioners: they deliver them food and medicines, help them in everyday life, teach them computer skills, and provide medical and social services. Many of the Service patients suffer from cancer, mental illnesses, infectious diseases and other serious illnesses and are in need of a long and complicated care.

The program currently runs in 73 regions of Russia. There are Houses of Mercy in four constituent entities of the Russian Federation; also, Health and Longevity Centres are in nine regions. Home-based social services are provided in thirty regions. Most of the Russian regions have an emergency social service (social taxi, provision of technical rehabilitation tools, assistance with paperwork and food supply).

Every year more than 8.5 thousand people receive help. More than 44,000 people turned to the Russian Red Cross Mercy Service for help at least once during 2021.

The day-to-day work of the Mercy Service aims to alleviate human suffering and improve quality of life and health of those who find themselves in difficult situations by responding promptly to requests for help. To learn more about targeted Mercy Services, please email to mail@redcross.ru or contact your local Red Cross branch.