Backed by the Agency for Employment and Skills (AKPA) and coordinated with municipal social services, they joined the community works programme. For them, it’s more than a job—it’s a chance to grow, to contribute, and to break free from the cycle of vulnerability that has held so many women in similar situations back.

But their personal progress points to something much bigger—the urgent need for carers across Albania. Findings from the programme’s recent study, Aging in Albania, reveal that:

• Most care still falls on families. Nearly half of elderly people rely on their spouses, while up to 45% depend on their children. Only 13% of those who are fully dependent receive care from someone outside the family. That’s not just a statistic—it’s a reflection of a system stretched thin.
• Some have no one at all. About 13% of older people lack any caregiver, and that figure rises to 20% among those with greater dependency. Many can’t afford private care—84% cite cost as a barrier—while others have no relatives nearby.
• Women carry most of the weight. Three-quarters of men rely on their wives for care, while less than one-third of women rely on husbands. Women are twice as likely as men to end up without a caregiver.
• Where you live matters. In Tirana, financial barriers dominate; outside the city, it’s the absence of family nearby. Different locations, same urgency.
• Institutional care isn’t filling the gap. Only 10% of social care beneficiaries are elderly, and in half the country’s municipalities there are no community services for older people. Most residential centers struggle to hire workers, largely due to low pay and heavy workloads.
• Specialized care is lacking. Over 90% of residential centers cannot provide services for elderly people with dementia, despite the pressing need for physiotherapy and other supports.