1st Stakeholder meeting held in Slovenia by Development Centre of the Heart of Slovenia

As part of the Interreg Danube project ELEVATE, Development Centre of the Heart of Slovenia organized the first stakeholder meeting on 29th September 2025 in the Janko Kersnik Hall in Lukovica. The event was attended by around 40 participants, among them many volunteers, older people and young people, including key stakeholders such as Municipality of Lukovica, associated partner of Elevate project Ministry of Solidarity-Based Future, Homes for the Elderly Citizens Kamnik and Šmartno pri Litiji Institute Oreli, Institute Pristan for home care, Pensioners’ Associations from Litija, Lukovica and Šmartno pri Litiji.

Our main aim at the first stakeholder meeting was to present the ELEVATE project, its key objectives and to explore solutions for more effectively addressing the challenges of providing support to older people in the local environment. Particular emphasis was placed on collecting ideas developing pilot project on upgrading the existing “Points for  older people ” in Municipalities Litija, Šmartno pri Litiji and Lukovica. In this municipalities volunteers already provide assistance to the older people with everyday tasks, legal advice, food delivery, accompaniment to the doctor or the store and even teaching them how to use smartphones. This represents the transfer of good practice developed by Institute Oreli from Kamnik to the area of mentioned municipalities in the Heart of Slovenia. Since 2023, volunteers have contributed more than 1.200 hours of volunteer work and responded to over 800 requests for assistance. The speech on this topic was given by Anita Molka, ELEVATE project lead coordinator. While Institute Oreli from Kamnik presented their first steps towards this practice.

Important part of the meeting was also presentation given by Maja Šturbej from  the Ministry of Solidarity-Based Future which is also our ASP partner, about the existing »long-term care service system«, that combines measures, services and activities intended for persons who, due to illness, age related frailty, injury, disability, or the lack or loss of intellectual abilities, are over an extended period or permanently dependent on the assistance of others in performing basic and supportive daily activities.

During the discussion, Martin Kopatin, director of Institute Pristan highlighted its struggle with a shortage of staff and explained how it sees the involvement of active retirees and foreign workers as part of the solution. Majda Podkrižnik, director of  Home for Elderly Citizens Kamnik noted that it faces a lack of mid-level nurses, which limits the time available for social interaction with residents, and emphasized the vital role of volunteers and the need for efficient administrative procedures. The Ministry of a Solidarity-Based Future presented its efforts to make the long-term care system more user-friendly while gradually improving its complex procedures. Meanwhile, Institute Oreli pointed out the low public awareness of volunteering opportunities and stressed that dedicating time and attention to older people is invaluable to society.

A key part of the event was a discussion with participants and main stakeholders on identified needs on local level and on the implementation of long-term care rights and services in practice, on improving the “Point for older people” taking into account good practices from ELEVATE project partners across the Danube Region that foster intergenerational cooperation. In this way, the existing pilot “Point for older people” could be further developed and more effectively integrated into the local and broader community.

The discussion proved was particularly valuable in reaching a shared understanding that “Points for older people” should be upgraded by involving younger retirees and young also in long-term care activities to provide support, thereby strengthening intergenerational collaboration. This meeting has shown how essential it is to bring together key stakeholders and the local community, to give floor to different perspectives and to address everyone’s needs and expectations, this way we can truly understand the challenges faced from all sides and act accordingly in the future.

Author: Jasna Presečki