Interreg projects
Project leader: Dr David Bogataj
Project duration: 1 March 2024 – 28 February 2026
Project partners: Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (applicant), HOME FOR ELDERLY PERSONS “KANTRIDA”, RIJEKA, University of Rijeka Foundation, NINA POKORN GRMOVJE HOME, Alma Mater Europaea – European Center, Maribor
Project financed by the programme: Interreg SI-HR
Brief project description:
The project “CENTINOSS” focuses on the development of new models for providing social care services. Older adults and persons with intellectual disabilities are not only more susceptible to various health issues, but also often live alone or in homes for older people and persons, as well as in special social care institutions, which makes them less connected to society and more exposed to the risk of social exclusion. This can negatively affect their health and cause feelings of loneliness and depression.
In view of the above, homes and associations for older citizens, as well as special social care institutions, are very important because they provide a safe and suitable environment for residents. These are places where older people and persons with intellectual disabilities can spend time with their peers and have access to various activities and social life, which is especially important if other social contacts are limited. In addition, these clubs and social care institutions provide professional care and assistance to older adults who depend on help from others for performing basic daily activities. Homes for older people are often needed by those who cannot live independently due to physical or mental limitations, while clubs for older people offer activity programmes and help maintain social ties that are important for older people’s health.
In addition, clubs for older people are extremely important and essential for maintaining the quality of life and well-being of older people who are not residents of care homes. Due to the sudden increase in care needs resulting from population ageing, no public or professional system can meet all care needs; instead, it must rely on the existing informal social care network, which today covers three quarters of care needs in Slovenia and the EU and is non-institutional by nature.
The goal of community-based social care services is to enable an older person who depends on help from others, or a person with a mental disorder, to remain in their own home for as long as possible while maintaining a satisfactory quality of life. The goal of social policy is also to increase the number of users of social care services and at the same time improve access to social care services, as well as to direct public attention to people in the third age through promotional activities that inform the public about available social care services, which is the objective of the activities we intend to carry out within this project.
Therefore, the main goal of the project is to strengthen cross-border cooperation among stakeholders in the social welfare, healthcare, and related systems in order to improve the health and quality of life of older people and persons with mental disorders in the cross-border area of Slovenia and Croatia, and to strengthen partnership and cooperation among the organisations that care for them. This is to be achieved by improving the quality of care and enhancing cooperation between organisations that provide social care services. The project will achieve numerous results, including the development of new care models, the establishment of a cooperation network among organisations providing care for older people, the development of a cross-border strategy for the development of community-based social care services, and the establishment of a new cross-border “Centre for Social Innovations” intended for the transfer of good practices and the training of volunteers and employees who provide social care services.
The project results will raise the quality of care and life for older adults and persons with intellectual disabilities in the cross-border area, as well as the level of provision of social care services in organisations offering social welfare services and among their employees. The approach we will use in the project includes cross-border cooperation between organisations in Slovenia and Croatia, which will enable the exchange of knowledge and experience and joint problem-solving. Cross-border cooperation is essential due to the fact that older people in the cross-border area face the same challenges, but often have limited access to appropriate services. We intend to achieve this through the professional exchange of knowledge and experience among workers employed in care homes, the day centre of the Nina Pokorn Home, and the older citizens’ clubs of the Kantrida Home, as well as through meetings of users involved in the pilot activities.
In addition, the synergy between decision-makers responsible for the development of social care services in the programme area and research centres and professional organisations will be used as the main driving force for encouraging new social innovations and knowledge, in order to raise care for older people in the programme area to the highest possible level. Within the project, with the institutional support of the lead partner, a “Centre for Social Innovations” will be established as support for all future efforts to improve the provision of social care services in homes and clubs for older people.
The project results will be transferable to interested stakeholders through the methodologies and tools developed within the project. The establishment of the “Centre” will ensure the sustainability of the project results even after its official completion.
Project financed by the programme: Interreg SI-HR
Total project budget (ERDF funds): EUR 690,147.87
Amount of ERDF funds for AMEU: EUR 129,888.00 (80%)
AMEU partner contribution: EUR 32,472.00 (20%)
