18 december 2012

Dmitry Medvedev visits the Baltiysky assisted living residence during his working visit to St. Petersburg

The Baltiysky assisted living residence was built specially for single elderly individuals with mobility restrictions and reduced self-care capacity. At the moment, there are 55 people living in the residence.

Dmitry Medvedev inspected the residence's rehabilitation unit, the salt chamber for treating respiratory diseases, and the work therapy room, where elderly people living in the residence, as well as those residing in St. Petersburg's Kirovsky District, can engage in different arts and crafts activities.

The Prime Minister also visited the local museum, which was set up by the facility residents and showcases items of everyday life of the 20th century. Although small in size, the museum features many interesting items – such as a hand-operated dental drill, a VEF-202 radio receiver, figurines known to adults from their childhood, a rotary dial telephone and others.

Mr Medvedev visited the apartment of Yevdokiya Shapochkina, the facility's oldest resident. Shapochkina was born in 1922, worked in Leningrad during the war taking care of children who lost their parents, and later became a teacher of Russian language and literature. She is decorated with a medal For the Defence of Leningrad.

At the end of his visit, Mr Medvedev presented the head of the assisted living residence with a 500,000 rouble certificate for purchasing equipment.