Andrei married for love and, following dreams of a better future, left his home city in Moldova for Moscow. Not long after, joyful news arrived: his wife was pregnant, and soon their daughter was born.
One summer day, during a simple outing to a swimming spot, Andrei suffered a tragic accident that left him with a fractured spine. At 45, Andrei has seen his life shift in unimaginable ways, suddenly limited by physical immobility.
Yet, hope continues to guide his path thanks to the Socio-Health Day Centre in Ungheni, which stands as a pioneering model of integrated community care in the Moldovan city, offering vital support to some of the region’s most vulnerable residents. Beneficiaries – elderly, people with disabilities, and displaced individuals, including refugees – receive services ranging from medical monitoring to personal hygiene assistance and home-based care, as well as dignified, multidisciplinary support.
Meeting unmet needs through integrated services
This centre offers a unique set of services, including outreach, physiotherapy, and medical care.
“While there are other social services in the city, this centre offers a unique set of services, including outreach, physiotherapy, and medical care such as dressings,” explains Vitalie Tirsina, the Centre’s administrator. “These do not duplicate what already exists but instead address unmet needs,” he adds.
As a beneficiary of the centre, Andrei now receives essential treatments, including medication and wound care, from a team that listens, understands, and works actively to improve his quality of life.
“The mission of the centre is to support elderly people and individuals with disabilities who have nowhere else to turn,” Tirsina notes. Unlike other services that may offer only basic help, this centre delivers advanced, person-centred care. Thanks to two fully equipped mobile teams, many of these services are delivered directly to the homes of those with limited mobility, like Andrei, making up to 5,000 visits per year.
Beyond care: Building dignity and connection
According to Tirsina, the formula is simple but powerful: interdisciplinary teamwork, targeted services, and empathy-driven care. “What inspires us is seeing how even a short conversation, a small gesture, can make someone feel seen and valued.”
It is an essential bridge between isolation and inclusion for our most vulnerable citizens.
The centre integrates medical services with social support, creating a holistic approach. Staff not only assist patients with treatments, but also accompany them to appointments, help with budgeting, prepare meals, and ensure they follow prescribed care plans – all within one coordinated programme.
“It is an essential bridge between isolation and inclusion for our most vulnerable citizens,” says Mayor of Ungheni Vitalie Vrabie. “Through its integrated care model, it restores dignity, improves health outcomes, and stimulates human connection. In Ungheni, we believe every person deserves to be seen, supported, and respected.”
Tirsina agrees, stressing the impact of human connection. “Some people hadn’t left their homes in a decade,” he says. “Even just a conversation or a shared meal can restore someone’s sense of worth.”
Some people hadn’t left their homes in a decade. Even just a conversation or a shared meal can restore someone’s sense of worth.
For Gheorghe, an 82-year-old living alone with severe visual impairment, this approach has been life-changing. His son lives abroad and visits are rare; for years, he adapted his home so everything was within arm’s reach. Now, thanks to weekly hygiene services, he enjoys a warm bath, a shave, and personal care, restoring not just his health, but his sense of comfort and dignity.
Impact and replication
“From the first day, people expressed immense gratitude,” says Tirsina. “We’ve seen firsthand how small interventions can have a huge emotional and practical impact.”
The centre operates daily with space for at least 20 people onsite, while its mobile units reach dozens more. In its first year, it aims to serve 300 individuals, providing not only physical relief but also emotional and social support. Admission is based on need, with priority given to those who are socially isolated or without sufficient assistance. In the immediate future, the centre plans to reach hundreds more and fine-tune its integrated service delivery. The long-term vision is to alleviate chronic pain and improve quality of life.
“From the very beginning, the Municipality of Ungheni understood the critical need for such a centre,” says Mayor Vrabie. “We supported its creation because too many people – elderly, people with disabilities, refugees – were left behind by traditional systems.”
Too many people were left behind by traditional systems.
In a time when many vulnerable people are falling through the cracks of traditional care systems, the Socio-Health Day Centre in Ungheni offers a hopeful, human-centred blueprint for change. The centre also acts as a training hub, raising the standard of care across the region, and already caught the attention of other municipalities.
