Harisseio - Home for the Elderly

The Harisseio Home for the Elderly in Thessaloniki is a philanthropic institution, a Civil Law Legal Entity, housed in its own complex of buildings of about 5.500 square meters at the foot of Kedrinos hill in the area of Ano Toumpa in Thessaloniki. Harisseio was founded late 19th century, by Dimitrios Harissis.

The purpose of the Harisseio was originally set by Dimitrios Harissis to be the provision of care and nursing for those who cannot take care of themselves due to old age or illness.

Now days nursing capacity is about 150-200 elderly people. Harisseio provides whatever a well composed family can offer its members, and in addition, provides medical and pharmaceutical care of First degree.

At the same time, and in addition to caring for the inmates, Harisseio offers on a daily basis, food and care to another 40-50 poor and needy people of our metropolitan city.

Here we must highlight another parameter of the Harisseio’s social offer. The University of Thessaloniki is the largest in Greece and the number of state subsidized student dormitories is not sufficient to accommodate all of the needy students. Harisseio offers housing, food, etc to a number of needy students from the Balkans, Syria, Lebanon and from elsewhere.

Generally, Harisseio accepts people at the age of 65 and up, under the precondition that the candidate is self-supported for his basic functions. As long as these basic prerequisites are satisfied, the candidate fills in an application, along with the necessary supporting documents. If a) all entrance preconditions are satisfied and b) there are empty places available, then the candidate proceeds with entering and settling in Harisseio.

Sure enough, Harisseio focuses on the care of the people of old age. People who usually are affected by dementia. Because of that reason there is a cooperation between Harisseio and the Greek Association of Alzheimer’s disease.