By: Moja Dolenjska
On Tuesday, June 11th, the Centre for Social Work covering Central Slovenia – West organised a consultation in Kočevje on the topic of long-term care. It was confirmed that the law is very vague, and the home assistance services as we know them now and which are accessible to everyone, will no longer be available.
There will be a service for long-term home care, but the conditions for it will be significantly more difficult, and the funding for this care is also unclear.
Participants in the consultation raised concerns and questions regarding the implementation of tasks in the field of long-term care under the law passed by Golob’s government, which has distorted the law of the previous government.
The consultation highlighted difficulties in finding personnel to perform the planned services and the strict conditions individuals will need to meet to obtain the right to long-term care.
Municipal representatives also pointed out the unclear financing of long-term home care. The law stipulates that from July 1st, 2025, municipalities must provide long-term home care.
However, municipalities warn that long-term home care does not replace the current home assistance service. The difference between the two services is that the current home assistance, as we know it, is intended for all elderly citizens. Users pay for it at a subsidised price, averaging about 30 percent of the cost, with municipalities covering the rest. The home assistance service is now mostly accessible to everyone who needs it.
Long-term care will be harder to access
For the long-term care service, more criteria will need to be met, making it harder to access. It is supposed to be funded by long-term care insurance and the state budget. The ruling coalition (Svoboda, SD, and Levica) has also introduced a new tax, intending to burden all retirees among others. They have set a 1% tax on net pensions. Under the law passed by Janša’s government, funding for this was provided from European funds.
The consultation in Kočevje on the topic of long-term care was attended by Mojca Frelih, a representative of the Ministry for a Solidary Future, headed by Simon Maljevac (Levica). Tasks already being carried out in the field of elderly care were presented by Ksenija Gorše, a professional worker at the CSD, Lidija Vardjan, director of the Home for the Elderly in Kočevje, Gregor Levič, director of the Jutro Institute, and Danica Štimac, head of the patronage service of the Kočevje Health Center.
Municipal representatives also attended the consultation, but only the Municipality of Sodražica reported on it on their website. The others seem to be fearful.
