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According to Irena, the situation was particularly difficult with the recent heavy snowfall. So his grandparents who lived in distant houses became really unapproachable.
A trip to Grandma Danute
“We take care of a grandmother as old as Danute,” says Irena. – It lives in the middle of the forest and in winter it is extremely difficult to break through. When such a heavy snow fell, we immediately went to visit him. As we were driving on an asphalt road, everything seemed to go wrong, but when the dirty road started – we stumbled … And my grandmother – another two good kilometers to go! … What to do? We didn’t want to go back, we moved all the food we gave to our backpacks and tried to walk through the snow …
There was an extraordinary amount of snow, up to the waist. After a few tens of meters, the Maltese realized that they would not get that far …
But Grandma Danute needs to be saved! She probably no longer has water and cannot bring firewood herself …
“We walked to a nearby farm,” Irena recalls. – There lived a little younger, not old. We handed them our bags of food and asked them to go skiing to Grandma Danute. They were a bit surprised by such a request, but agreed to help. At the same time, we asked Danuta to bring water from a well a hundred meters from the house and to bring firewood so that the old woman could set up a stove. We kindly ask that we inform you immediately about your grandmother’s health, she may need medical help. “
The neighbors complied with Irena’s request. They also told me that the snow around Grandma Danutė’s tent was so inflated that I could use the gate in the sprint …
Older people living on remote farms
“Older people living on remote farms do not accept to move from their native merchants to their grandparents’ house,” says Irena. – The parents’ house is a very valuable legacy for them, which has been given to them for their conservation. Leaving them with these people seems like the biggest betrayal of their parents and the whole family … “
According to Irena, there are actually many elderly people living in remote homes in the Aukštadvaris area, but it is difficult to find help for them.
“Social assistance departments are often reluctant to visit people living in isolation because they do not have special elevated vehicles to access them,” says Irena. “And since social workers are paid for working hours, not for long trips, there were no people who wanted to go to Danute …”
The situation of the elderly on individual farms is exacerbated by the marked deterioration in their health. The elderly can no longer walk to the nearest village to bring food, and visiting a doctor is a real problem for them. They just don’t understand the pre-registration procedures, so avoid the doctor as much as possible until the situation becomes critical.
“I know the elderly Česlova, who has been to the doctor only once in his life, but he also remembers it well once,” says Irena. – He went to the doctor without an appointment, he thought he would wait in line. There, Česlov was told to wait a few hours for the doctor to receive him. Then the doctor prescribed a referral to another doctor, who also had to wait a long time. Finally, after spending the whole day at the polyclinic, Česlovas showed up at his cabin and vowed never to see a doctor again … “
Grandparents let in new people
“When we started visiting and caring for single grandparents, we were convinced it would be easier. We will come, we will introduce ourselves, we will meet, we will listen to what they need and we will help, Irena remembers. – But lonely people don’t let strangers in right away, they need to be approached step by step … Every visit, every contact is a small step … And those steps are really necessary before the old man starts talking to you, he says . about your worries, problems, health. We can only really help him when we know exactly what he really needs and he has clearly told him … But not before … “
According to Irena, in complete exclusion, older people simply change surprisingly when they realize that they care about someone. Then there is the desire to tell your life, the desire to order the house beautifully, to buy new furniture and utensils.
These people seem to be coming back to life after many decades of seclusion.
“I remember our paternal grandfather Kazimieras complaining that while he was young and strong, everyone invited him to help with all kinds of jobs, chopping, chopping firewood, relatives often came to visit,” says Irena. “But when he got old and sick, he suddenly became unnecessary and uninteresting to anyone, no one comes to him not even to see if he is still alive …”
When the Maltese began to visit him, Casimir was surprisingly revived. The old man began to plan his money, began to save, bought a television and a refrigerator.
“These elderly people are so used to the attitude that they are not only unnecessary and even a burden to society, that any show of care works miraculously on them,” says Irena. “They even want a cell phone so they can talk and talk to others …”
Irena remembers how Maltese followers fulfilled the wish of an old man living on a remote farm and bought him a mobile phone.
“I had to teach him how to use that phone for a long time,” Irena smiles. – That he puts the handset to his ear and forgets to press the call button, he presses the button, but forgets to put the handset to his ear … How many times have I had to run behind his house to hear him call me on that mobile phone and talking to him … It was fun for both of us … He finally learned to call me, although sometimes he doesn’t understand that I’m not talking to him hiding behind his hut, but I’m a hundred kilometers away. .. “
Respect inherited by the ancients
Irena Beržinskienė admits that she inherited respect for her ancestors from an early age.
“I grew up in a very harmonious family with my father, my mother and two sisters,” says Irena. – A grandmother with a grandfather and a grandmother’s cousin also lived with us. So, I had a lot of elders around me and respect for them was instilled in me from an early age. “
Irena’s grandfather died when she was still her firstborn and her grandmother survived for a long time.
For a long time he lived with his parents’ family and with his grandmother’s cousin, who had no relatives. Irena’s parents treated her in the same way as a born relative, they tortured her beautifully and buried her with respect.
“I am very sorry that when I grew up with my grandparents, I did not speak to them enough, I did not ask them about their lives,” Irena laments. “And they were able to tell so many interesting things, they had seen so much during their difficult life …”
According to Irena, childhood in the village was the most wonderful time for her. She was the smallest of the family, she grew up among her cousins, they all played together, she went down in summer, she rode skis in winter …
Irena studied well, neither the parents nor the teachers had a problem with that. After studying physics in Vilnius, Irena returned to her native Aukštadvaris, where she worked as a physics teacher for many years, actively participated in the activities of the local church community and danced in a folk dance ensemble.
“I am a son of nature and a man of the country,” says Irena. “The city never attracted me …”
Came to the Maltese
Irena Beržinskienė’s journey to the Maltese began in 2002, when a new pastor, Vytautas Kazys Sudavičius, came to Aukštadvaris for work.
Irena had already been involved in some local Caritas activities, but the pastor decided to give the energetic young woman a new activity.
“After inviting me, the pastor offered to form a Maltese group in Aukštadvaris,” Irena recalls. “I admitted that I don’t know anything about the Maltese …”
But the shepherd knew the Maltese well. Before that, he had worked in Kaišiadorys, where the Maltese were well known and carried out many social projects in the city.
“I agreed to form a Maltese group in Aukštadvaris, mainly because I saw the opportunity to do a good job for my people in Aukštadvaris,” Irena recalls. “I also liked that the Maltese are a Catholic organization. It was important to me.”
Grandparent events
According to Irena, first of all, she wanted to take care of Aukštadvaris’ grandparents, make them happy and help them.
“We started our Maltese activity in Aukštadvaris with modesty, preparing the farmers, organizing celebrations and events for the elderly,” recalls Irena. – On Senior Citizens’ Day (October 1), we prepare a celebration for our seniors, with baked cakes, gifts and a concert. We not only act ourselves, but we also involve our Maltese ensemble and youth. “
The Aukštadvaris seniors really liked the initiative of the new Maltese group, they felt very honored and pleasant, they were looking forward to the Maltese performances. Celebrations for the elderly were held not only on the occasion of the Day of the Elderly, but also during St. Easter and St. Christmas and the events took place in the Aukštadvaris and Čižiūnai nursing homes.
“In Lithuania, I found two main attitudes towards older people,” says Irena. – One of them is that the elderly are a drag on society because they can no longer work and do not benefit from it. Politicians only remember it before the elections, delivering it with promises, which are then forgotten until the next elections. “
In the opinion of others, the old man is a living history, a source of great wisdom and experience, who gave his energy and strength to Lithuania, worked for it all his life and created our state as it is now.
According to Irena, the first approach to the old man is completely unacceptable for the Maltese.
“How can we forget from what hands and efforts Lithuania was created? – Irena excited. – Who would we be without these people now and where would our state be now? I only invite Maltese volunteers who have a real compassion for the elderly and a desire to do good. “
Maltese volunteers
“It is very good that volunteering is diverse at the moment,” says Irena. “Volunteers are now available not only to individuals, but also to socially responsible companies that not only send us volunteers for their employees, but also significantly help the people we care for.”
According to Irena, all the volunteers she has had to work with, regardless of their age and past life experience, have one main and most important trait: compassion.
It is good for them to do good. And that would not change that in any other leisure activity.
“It’s amazing when there are so many people who want to do good,” says Irena. – The team is formed in an instant, everyone wants to act, share the work and immediately start doing it. Common goals are really very motivating. “
Currently Irena Beržinskienė can barely alternate between the many Maltese works. She is the Leader of the Southern Region of Malta (oversees 15 Maltese groups), Coordinator of Spiritual Education and Disability of the MOPT. The energetic woman also organized pilgrimages to Lithuania and abroad (until quarantine prevented it), organized retreats and camps for the disabled.
“One of the important characteristics of the Maltese organization is that we have many different activities and opportunities to help people,” says Irena. – We work with the elderly, children from low-income families and the disabled. Everyone with us can find a place to volunteer and do good. Our future depends on the energy and desire of each one of us to help our neighbor … “
Maltese grandparents such as Danutė and Česlovas are currently cared for by more than 2,600 in 43 Lithuanian cities. GPM for Maltese.
More information: https://bit.ly/MaltieciaiSupport
