Rural communities try to fill gaps in elderly care in Hungary

The researchers looked at how elderly care functions in rural settlements with ageing populations, where many younger people have moved away and those who remain often cannot afford market-based care services. As the formal care system and the state gradually withdraw from this area, shifting responsibilities to families without providing sufficient resources, local communities, municipalities and volunteers in several villages are trying to find their own solutions. 

In their article published in Berliner Journal für Soziologie, Noémi Katona, assistant professor at Corvinus University and researcher at the Centre for Social Sciences, and Dóra Gábriel, researcher at the Centre for Social Sciences, analyse how these “caring communities” operate in three anonymised villages in Baranya County. As part of their fieldwork, they conducted thirty interviews in 2023 with mayors, heads of social institutions, village caretakers, nurses, volunteers and elderly residents. 

The study focuses on small, economically relatively well-off and age-friendly villages in Baranya County where, due to their small population size, municipalities are not legally required to provide certain care services. In one of the settlements, an integrated residential home for older people operates, bringing local social services together within a single institution. The village has also launched an “Adopt a Granny” programme. In another village, a “grandmothers’ group” founded by a retired woman has become the centre of community life. In the third settlement, programmes for older residents have developed around the local nursery, including a retirees’ choir. 

Multiple generations involved in multiple roles 

A shared feature of these innovative initiatives is their close connection to local municipalities. In many cases, the same individuals participate in local politics, civil organisations and social programmes. In one of the villages, for example, the village caretaker also serves as deputy mayor and is widely known as a committed member of the community. 

According to one of the study’s authors, sociologist Noémi Katona, assistant professor at Corvinus University, 

In the villages we studied, volunteer groups, the dedicated staff of existing social institutions and the mayors themselves all play key roles in sustaining caring communities. Their commitment, innovative thinking and the trust they build with local residents often determine whether such initiatives can emerge and continue.

The study suggests that cooperation between generations can be a key factor in success. Older members of the community are valued for their experience and knowledge of local society, while younger, highly educated residents contribute new ideas and different skills. 

Community solidarity cannot replace everything 

The research also points out that while caring communities in many Western European countries have become integrated into formal welfare systems, their role rarely appears in policy debates in Hungary. Nevertheless, in the villages studied, alternative local solutions based on community solidarity have developed. 

According to the study, these initiatives can partially alleviate care shortages, but in the long term they cannot replace state involvement. 

The close intertwining of municipalities and civil society is a key feature of small rural villages in Hungary. Local governments often rely on external funding such as grants, project funding and the unpaid work of civil initiatives, and some also consider market-based activities in order to maintain high-quality social services for older residents. 

At the same time, community care is not without its challenges. The study notes that volunteer work often compensates for the shortage of trained professionals. While this helps sustain local services, it can also lead to care work becoming less professionalised.