specific needs of children and elderly left behind as a ... - IOM Moldova

The health of family members The involved perception in the of migration labour migration process
will resist, I don’t need anything, I don’t have money so I cannot address anybody”
(FG_EE_urban). The fact that these persons address the doctor
late and ignore medical prescriptions significantly increases the risk
of complications, developing malignancies and other serious diseases.
There are cases when the elderly address and receive help from their children
abroad. When a woman, aged 71, was asked if she received help from her children
to buy medicines, she replied: “Of course I do, I have no other money!
Nothing besides 900 lei (her pension)... I spend 2-3 thousand lei on my pills...
sometimes I get a 50% discount, the ones that are for diabetics are for free... but
the other ones need to be bought and they are very expensive” (III_E_9).
Some old people said that financial aid provided by their children for
expensive treatments significantly improved their life quality. A lady
received 15 thousand lei from her son from abroad for a heart surgery;
a man repaired his teeth for 12 thousand 800 lei with the help of his son
(FG_E_1_rural).
A lady aged 61 told that the procurement of drugs depends a lot on the
money received from her children who are abroad: “I experienced difficulties
with my pills, because my son is being paid when he returns home, so,
until then I have to borrow from my neighbours and when my son comes
back I just pay my debts” (III_E_2). However, it can be considered a good
situation, because the old woman can still have her treatment done.
Sometimes, medicines are purchased altruistically by third persons, supported
for example, by the funds of religious groups, relatives, former colleagues,
friends, etc.
There are cases when some of the elderly receive medicines from their children
from abroad. There is a lady who takes care of her minor grandchildren.
Her daughters work in Germany: “She translates everything for me.
She sent me a little machine that takes the pressure... and suppositories because
I have some issues with my large intestine... She also sent me calcium,
magnesium, and she sends coughing syrup for the child especially during
winter… and some ointments for my joints” (III_E_11).
In most cases, the medicines that the children send to the elderly from
abroad are very useful for them, especially when they require expensive
treatments. However, it is necessary to note that the person receiving the
drugs from abroad must inform his family doctor about this, in order
to avoid overlapping of active substances leading to overdose, or negative
interactions between medicines prescribed by a family doctor and
the ones received independently by the patient.
When advancing in age, the risk of developing medical emergencies increases
(sudden increase in blood pressure, heart and brain diseases, etc.).
In some cases, grandchildren who are left in the care of grandparents are
155