Mother Vangjelija's eyes fill with tears whenever her children are mentioned. For 4 years, she has been living in one of the private elderly care centers in Tirana. Even though she already has grandchildren, emigration made her find shelter and care in these facilities.
"I came here with my husband, both of us together, and the desire was mine, because I wanted to let the children be free."
He doesn't miss the service, but he says he doesn't find the family warmth, despite constantly communicating with his children over the phone.
"I talk every day, maybe twice a day. It might not be on that family level, because we're here a lot."
Emigration seems to have broken the traditional structure of Albanian families. Children used to serve their parents physically, but now this care has shifted to distance, funding state and private institutions that can provide support for daily needs.
"The number has increased considerably. Children have left, immigration has done its job. Our children do not have to be penalized for having to keep their parents at home, not taking them to the center, because it is a shame. It is not a shame," Liljana Sadaj, Director of the "Rays of Life" Residential Center, told A2 CNN.
The demands are constantly increasing, children pay for their parents' care.
"From field work, I have evidence that many elderly people are already living alone. We are also preparing mobile teams with volunteers to provide care services near their families, in their homes. It is important for an elderly person to live in their own home, because it not only makes them safer and more emotionally stable, but it also makes them safer to function," Zhaneta Kala, coordinator of the Social Program at the Red Cross, told A2 CNN.
According to the 2023 census, the elderly over 65 years old living in Albania alone number 64 thousand inhabitants. (A2 Televizion)
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