The question I addressed in this master's thesis was what importance the older people contribute to social network and at the same time I wished to show what an important part of the long-term care these networks represent. In Slovenia, the legislation is still not adequate in terms of efficient responsiveness to the needs of the older people and in terms of providing a sufficient scope of service. It is challenging to provide care which combines social and health care. The research covers the comparison of characteristics of social networks at home and in institutional care, the forms of mutual help of the older people and the people in their environment, the effects of relationships with others on the life at an older age, the kind of importance social networks bear in the process of developing new forms of help. The research is qualitative, the basic research material comprised of interviews and a focus group. Female citizens of the Žirovnica Municipality who were more than 65 years old were included in the research as well as various experts whose work is in any way connected with the older people in this municipality. The results have shown that on one hand the interviewees have their own space and peace at home, they can invite anyone they wish to their homes and they get along well with their cohabitants while on the other hand, in institutional care, there is a lack of privacy as well as family and friends from back home. The female citizens exchange various types of support within their social networks, such as helping with gardening, taking care of grandchildren, making lunch, helping with advice and emotional support. They can rely on their family the most, but also on some friends and neighbors. Their social network consists of relatives, friends, other members of associations and neighbors. They meet for holidays, celebrations, home visits and visits in the home for the older, at the street and in associations. The experts notice the need for reinforcing the services and programs predominantly in the community and in a lower number of institutional care facilities. The interviewees have many different roles: mothers, grandmothers, sisters, housewives, organization members, neighbors. In the future, they wish to stay home as long as possible, to be autonomous, active, help others and take trips. In case they became dependent on others, they would move to the home for the older if it existed in the hometown. Some of the interviewees drive alone, others ask their family members to take them somewhere or they take a bus. They maintain contacts in person, via mobile phone and letters. In the future, the services of long-term care should be planned mostly at the homes of people while institutional care should consist of smaller units with single-bed rooms. The long-term care services should especially consider the human perspective and social connections, should strengthen formal help which would be complemented with the non-formal one. The experts wish to have more organized services in the community, such as a larger service of help at home, social service, organized transports, center for the activity of the elderly, day care service, mobile team, possibilities for socialization, accompanying, possibility of crisis accommodation and temporary beds. Long-term care must be designed in a way that the human being is at the center of its attention and that the services are adapted to them.
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