<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec id="j_sjph-2021-0036_s_006"><h3>Background and purpose</h3>
<p>The populations of rural areas across Europe, especially Slovenia, are ageing rapidly and the areas themselves are becoming depopulated. Therefore, this study aims to contribute to our understanding of the population dynamics and provide a method for forecasting housing and other long-term care needs.</p></sec>
<sec id="j_sjph-2021-0036_s_007"><h3>Method</h3>
<p>The surveys questioned those responsible for long-term care, the caretakers in institutional care, and current and potential homecare users in rural areas of Slovenia. We wanted to discover what they considered as crucial in the process of long-term care deinstitutionalization. Our 2020–2050 projections are based on the surveys conducted across 38 municipalities in the Eastern Slovenian region and an in-depth empirical study in Posavje. The results are embedded in the demographic projections and the multistate transition model of the declining functional capacities to forecast the needed housing facilities and human resources.</p></sec>
<sec id="j_sjph-2021-0036_s_008"><h3>Results</h3>
<p>The results are the time series of required capacities. Around 60% of respondents in Slovenian rural areas believe that even a better organization of homecare would not allow them to stay at home until death due to inadequately built housing and the absence of a continuous presence of caregivers. These findings were included in the projections. Therefore, community care in the network of Smart Silver Villages was proposed.</p></sec>
<sec id="j_sjph-2021-0036_s_009"><h3>Discussion</h3>
<p>Investments are needed to renovate the housing stock of older adults and construct sheltered, assisted living housing and specialized households in the community. Moreover, proper education and training of human resources would increase the output. In addition, financial solutions are advised to develop Smart Silver Villages.</p></sec></abstract>

Background and purpose
The populations of rural areas across Europe, especially Slovenia, are ageing rapidly and the areas themselves are becoming depopulated. Therefore, this study aims to contribute to our understanding of the population dynamics and provide a method for forecasting housing and other long-term care needs.
Method
The surveys questioned those responsible for long-term care, the caretakers in institutional care, and current and potential homecare users in rural areas of Slovenia. We wanted to discover what they considered as crucial in the process of long-term care deinstitutionalization. Our 2020–2050 projections are based on the surveys conducted across 38 municipalities in the Eastern Slovenian region and an in-depth empirical study in Posavje. The results are embedded in the demographic projections and the multistate transition model of the declining functional capacities to forecast the needed housing facilities and human resources.
Results
The results are the time series of required capacities. Around 60% of respondents in Slovenian rural areas believe that even a better organization of homecare would not allow them to stay at home until death due to inadequately built housing and the absence of a continuous presence of caregivers. These findings were included in the projections. Therefore, community care in the network of Smart Silver Villages was proposed.
Discussion
Investments are needed to renovate the housing stock of older adults and construct sheltered, assisted living housing and specialized households in the community. Moreover, proper education and training of human resources would increase the output. In addition, financial solutions are advised to develop Smart Silver Villages.

Development dynamics of health and social infrastructure for the long-term care – The case of the Posavje region

Slovenian Journal of Public Health

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Dinamika razvoja zdravstvene in socialne infrastrukture za dolgotrajno oskrbo – Primer Posavske regije

Background and purpose
The populations of rural areas across Europe, especially Slovenia, are ageing rapidly and the areas themselves are becoming depopulated....

Development dynamics of health and social infrastructure for the long-term care – The case of the Posavje region

Article Category: Original scientific article

Published Online: Oct 20, 2021

Page range: 269 - 277

Received: Feb 24, 2021

Accepted: Sep 02, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjph-2021-0036

Keywords
ageing, social infrastructure, gerontology, built environment, long-term care, silver villages

© 2021 National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Development dynamics of health and social infrastructure for the long-term care – The case of the Posavje region

Article Category: Original scientific article

Published Online: Oct 20, 2021

Page range: 269 - 277

Received: Feb 24, 2021

Accepted: Sep 02, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjph-2021-0036

Keywordsageing, social infrastructure, gerontology, built environment, long-term care, silver villages

© 2021 National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
ageing, social infrastructure, gerontology, built environment, long-term care, silver villages