Tjaša Potočnik, Valentina Hlebec and Maša Filipovič Hrast (University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences)

Slovenia’s Long-Term Care (LTC) system has traditionally relied heavily on informal family support, with formal services remaining underdeveloped and unevenly distributed. While residential care, particularly nursing homes, are well-established, community- and home care services have been characterized by significant disparities in quality, accessibility, availability, and affordability across municipalities. A major recent reform of the LTC sector aims to address these structural issues by introducing a unified LTC system, improving access to home and community-based services, and ensuring more equitable and sustainable care provision across the country. The reform introduces mandatory LTC insurance and aims to integrate health and social services, reduce regional disparities, and ensure universal access to LTC services. It has also enhanced and reorganized the role of the family assistant, bringing it closer to formal employment than before. Despite these ambitious goals, a critical barrier to effective implementation remains: a shortage of qualified care workers. This may limit access to formal services and increase reliance on (limited) new cash benefits as well as on the (grey) market. Workforce shortages could lead to further marketization of care and perseverance of familiarism, reinforcing socio-economic inequalities among older adults and their carers.

Legislative responsibility for LTC at national level lies primarily with the Ministry of Solidarity-Based Future, which was established in January 2023. Prior to the adoption of the LTC Act in 2023, responsibilities were divided between the Ministry of Health (for the health-related aspects) and the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities (for the social care aspects), depending on the type of service (e.g. the Ministry of Health for health care providers and the Ministry of Solidarity Future for social care services).

Local authorities are responsible for the organisation and co-financing of community-based services, including care homes and home help services. In the past, the system operated on a model of shared responsibility between the health and social care sectors, however, the degree of integration between them has traditionally been low. However, with the adoption of the new LTC Act (ZDOsk-1), which will be implemented gradually from 2024, greater coordination, standardisation of services and a single point of contact for users are planned, aiming to integrate both sectors.

LTC has traditionally been funded by a fragmented mix of public and private sources, with a significant reliance on out-of-pocket payments (OOP) and family care. Before the LTC care reform of 2023, cash benefits such as the allowance for assistance and care and the figure of the family assistant were financed by the state, while in-kind benefits such as home and residential care were co-financed by national and municipal budgets and user co-payments [1, 2]. Health-related LTC services were financed separately through the statutory health insurance administered by the Slovenian Health Insurance Institute (ZZZS) [1]. Currently, public funding covers part of the services, but OOP payments remain high, especially for residential care [3]. Family members often provide in-kind support, and, under the Family Act (2017), adult children are obliged to contribute to the costs of care for their parents in case their parents’ income is insufficient. The users (or their family) can ask for an exemption of payment – in this case the municipality steps in to cover the costs of LTC services. However, these costs are partially reimbursed from the value of the care receivers housing property after their death. Private LTC insurance is available (e.g. Prva osebna zavarovalnica d.d. – “First care package”) but is not yet widespread and there is little publicly available data on how many people are covered.

The LTC Act (ZDOsk-1), which was passed in 2023 and gradually implemented from 2024, introduced compulsory LTC insurance financed by a combination of compulsory contributions, state budget funds and, from 2028, potential co-payments from users (LTC Act 2023) [2]. Mandatory contribution payments will be enforced starting July 1, 2025, and the contribution rate is set at 1% of the respective income base for employees, employers, and pensioners (from net pensions). In special cases (e.g. for self-employed and people working in agriculture) the rate is set at 2%. In addition, 190 million euros are allocated annually from the state budget to co-finance the LTC system. If the resources from long-term care insurance and state budget allocations prove insufficient to meet the demand, users will have to contribute between 10 and 20% of the cost of the service from 2028 onwards (ZDOsk-1).

Currently, monitoring the quality of services is primarily carried out through various institutions, such as the Institute for Social Protection of the Republic of Slovenia, which (since 2008) publishes annual reports on the delivery of home care services. Under the new LTC Act (ZDOsk-1) the Institute will be also responsible for the establishment of a unified system for monitoring service quality, however that is still in the development phase. For healthcare-related services within LTC, the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia (ZZZS) plays a central role in accreditation and quality assurance (IRSSV 2025). Currently, quality management practices, such as the E-Qalin model, are applied voluntarily by some nursing homes, leading to variability in quality assurance approaches. The E-Qalin is an important step forward towards evaluating the quality of the structures, processes and services of residential care facilities via self-evaluation, however it is not obligatory [4, 5]. Some private companies (such as DEOS – a private company that owns nine nursing homes in Slovenia) use their own quality assessment system [6]. Currently, 18[1] nursing homes (among 102 nursing homes) for older people have obtained the E-Qalin international quality certificate. Additionally, four institutions for persons with disabilities (among 34 institutions for persons with disabilities in Slovenia) have also achieved E-Qalin certification and four nursing homes for older people have received the “Quality Home Based on Self-Assessment” recognition. Another 12 nursing homes for older people and three care and work centres (VDCs) are actively in the process of implementing quality models with the aim of obtaining formal certification or recognition in the near future [5].

[1] This figure includes several organizations with multiple large units functioning as independent facilities (e.g., the Ptuj Home for the Elderly comprises five major units, Poljčane two, and DUO Impoljca three).

In the old system, eligibility of individuals with LTC needs for nursing care services was determined by a team of experts (general practitioner, nurse, social worker), while eligibility for home care services was assessed by an individual expert (usually a social worker). Similarly, cash benefits were granted upon application and approval by an expert team [2]. With the introduction of the new Long-Term Care (LTC) Act, a new assessment tool has been implemented to evaluate individuals’ long-term care needs. As of January 1, 2024, designated entry points for LTC at 16 regional Centres for Social work have been established. These entry points are responsible for assessing care needs and assigning individuals to one of five LTC categories based on the evaluation. Evaluation is based on eight different factors, according to which the person is classified into one of five possible categories of needs (1st category being the lowest and 5th the highest). The level of in-kind or monetary support provided to older adults in need of LTC is determined based on their assessed category of need (ZDOsk-1). In order to be eligible for the LTC rights under the LTC Act the person needs to meet the following criteria: must have been insured for LTC at least 24 months within the last 36 months before applying for LTC benefits; must have permanent or temporary residence in the Republic of Slovenia;  must be classified into one of the LTC categories based on the needs assessment scale and should not be receiving other benefits, such as the allowance for help and care, residential care under the Social Protection Act, or personal assistance (unless specified by the Personal Assistance Act) (ZDOsk-1).

In the field of LTC Slovenia has a long tradition of residential care, while community care started to develop in 1990s, however it is still not reaching its target to cover at least 3% of older adults over 65 with LTC needs (currently it is at 1.8 %) [7] and is characterized by increased regional differences in availability and accessibility of services [4]. Among people needing LTC services, 30.6% of them are receiving these services in residential care; 0,97% in day care facilities; 38.33% are receiving home care services and 30.1% are receiving only cash allowance (assistance and attendance allowance) [3]. With the reform and the transition to the new LTC system, Slovenia aims to deinstitutionalize the LTC system. However, there are concerns that certain measures might lead to the familiarisation and marketization of LTC, especially due to staffing issues and concerns about whether the planned services will be available to the extent envisioned by the law [8]. According to the new Long-Term Care Act (ZDOsk-1), individuals assessed as eligible for long-term care are granted entitlement to one of two forms of support – either monetary (cash benefit paid to the care receiver) and non-monetary (in-kind services either in residential care or at home). Apart from the previously already known services – residential care, day care and home care services, the Act introduces some additional services – financial support is provided for e-care services for individuals living at home and services aimed at promoting and preserving independence for all eligible beneficiaries. The amounts are established by their needs assessment (the category of needs they are classified to). Additionally, whereas previously the maximum amount of home care services was set to 20 hours per week, under the new Act, the amount depends on the category of needs a person is classified into, from up to 20 hours per week for those in the lowest category of needs, to up to 110 hours per week for those in the highest category of needs.

Despite their significant contribution, comprehensive support for informal carers remains limited and fragmented. Individuals with health insurance are entitled to seven working days of paid leave to care for a close family member with whom they cohabitate. However, the definition of “close family member” is limited to children and partners and does not include parents or other family members/relatives (according to the legal definition). Following the EU Directive on work-life balance for parents and carers (EU št. 2019/1185) into the Employment Relationships Act (ZDR-1), working carers are entitled to five days of unpaid care leave and the right to apply for part-time employment from August 3, 2023. Furthermore, some collective agreements provide additional benefits for working carers, but these are primarily focused on parents rather than people caring for older adults [18].

The new LTC Act has improved and restructured the previously available role of family assistants, with the new system more closely resembling formal employment than previously. Under the new LTC Act, the family members of care recipients classified into the fourth or fifth category of needs (i.e. with highest care needs) may become a Caregiver family member (in force since January 1, 2024), if he/she meets the eligibility criteria (are related to the person in need of care, co-reside with them, leave the labour market to provide care). Caregiver family members are entitled to a care allowance (120% of the minimum wage in Slovenia if caring for one person and 180% if caring for two people) as well as to respite care, annual leave and training, and their pension and social contributions are covered. However, in order for informal carers to become CFM, they must leave the labour market (or partially leave if there are two family caregivers who share care responsibilities). Amendments to the LTC Act confirmed by the government on 15 May 2025 extend the eligibility criteria to become CFM to pensioners who are now also eligible to formalise their status. However, family (informal) carers who do not live with the care recipients, as well as those who do not wish to formalise their status as caregivers (the majority of informal caregivers) or are not related to care recipient are not included in the LTC Act [19].

Community care services in Slovenia are delivered by a mix of public institutions, private companies (under municipal concessions) and non-profit organizations. Core services include home help (assistance with daily tasks such as cleaning, shopping, and personal care), home nursing (medical care provided at home, typically by community health centres), day care services (structured daytime activities and socialization), palliative and hospice care. Day care centres are usually a service offered by nursing homes, however only 0.97 % of people with LTC needs are receiving day care services, pointing to the underdevelopment of this type of LTC in Slovenia. Home nursing care is provided by nurses employed in primary healthcare institutions or contracted by municipalities, based on a doctor’s referral [9]. Social home care, which is organised by municipalities, is characterised by significant regional disparities in accessibility, affordability, availability [4,10,11,7], as well as adequacy of these services.

This has resulted in some care needs of older adults not being met, due to task restrictions posed on those providing social home care in the community (e.g. tasks like nail clipping, bandaging the legs) [12]. An important factor in the financial accessibility of LTC services in Slovenia lies in the poor financial situation of older people [4,13,14] with older women being the most exposed to financial struggles to cover the cost of LTC services [15].

Palliative and hospice care are not governed by a dedicated law but are addressed through broader strategic documents, such as the Patient Rights Act (2008), the National Palliative Care Program (2010), and the National Cancer Control Program (2022–2026). Services are delivered at both primary and specialized levels. Hospice care is mainly provided by the non-profit Slovenian Hospice Association and Hiša Ljubhospic [16]. In addition to the Long-Term Care Act and the right to a caregiver family member (which will be discussed in more detail in support for informal carers), the Personal Assistance Act offers support to individuals aged 18 to 64 with long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory disabilities. To be eligible, these individuals must require a minimum of 30 hours of assistance per week to maintain independent personal and family life, engage in social activities, pursue education, or remain employed. Depending on their level of need, eligible persons may be entitled to one or two personal assistants, enabling them to achieve greater independence, active participation, and equal inclusion in society.

Despite the growing need for supportive living arrangements, housing policies in Slovenia largely fail to recognise the value of cohabitation and home adaptations as effective strategies for ageing in place. Filipovič Hrast et al. (2020) highlight that cohabitation, when combined with appropriate modifications to the home environment, can significantly ease caregiving demands and enhance quality of life [17]. Nevertheless, there are no dedicated policy measures to support such adaptations, particularly for multigenerational households. There are some alternative forms of housing available, such as co-housing and household group living, which promote greater autonomy and social inclusion of people with LTC needs, however these types of housing are not widespread. Typically, they are self-financed, with residents bearing the majority of the costs, however there are some cases where alternative housing options are co-funded by municipalities—for instance, the Public Housing Fund of the Municipality of Murska Sobota co-financed the first senior living community, which was established in 2021. Although these forms of living are not formally integrated into the LTC system, the increasing desire among older people for independent living in supportive environments has led to the emergence of new housing models – beside Murska Sobota, examples of such arrangements exist but are not wide-spread (for example a community of older adults in Davča).

In addition to these alternative options, there are also assisted living apartments intended for individuals aged 65 and over who are capable of independent living but require a certain level of support. These apartments are architecturally adapted to meet the needs of older residents, offering improved accessibility and safety. As these are mainly private schemes the financial accessibility of such housing is low. While many of these units are privately owned and available on the open market, Slovenia’s Pension and Disability Insurance Institute (ZPIZ) also provides subsidized assisted living apartments with moderate rents. Seniors aged 65 and over can apply for these units through public calls. There are incentives organized and led by non-governmental organizations, such as Dementia Friendly Places (Spominčica Alzheimer Association), Age Friendly Cities and Municipalities (some of them are coordinated by the Anton Trstenjak Institute).

Nursing homes in Slovenia have a long-standing tradition and are regarded as well-developed across the country. Nursing home facilities are either publicly or privately operated, forming a comprehensive network that serves older adults and individuals with special needs [1,9]. A network of nursing homes for older adults in Slovenia is provided by a mix of 59 public facilities and 43 private providers with state concessions, operating a total of 102 nursing homes [20], which together have a capacity for around 21,150 older people. Although the sector remains predominantly public, the number of private concessionaires has increased significantly over the last ten years [20], reflecting a gradual diversification of service provision.

Funding is provided through a co-payment model, where the state covers the cost of healthcare, while residents or their families pay for accommodation, meals, and additional services. Prices for nursing home services are set and approved by the state (for both public and private nursing homes), but studies show that the gap between nursing home prices and the pension of older adults is widening [21]. The LTC Act (ZDOsk-1) stipulates that the social LTC insurance covers the health and social care components of nursing home costs, while residents need to pay for accommodation and meals. The goal is to align out-of-pocket costs with the average pension, making nursing home care more affordable for older adults. According to the new LTC Act, as of December 1, 2025, the right to residential LTC will come into effect.

In addition to nursing homes, adults with disabilities who require long-term care can also be included in Care and Work Centres (VDC) or Centres for Training, Work and Care (CUDV), where individuals can live or receive day care services. The number of people included in these services increased steadily between 2012 and 2023, reaching 4,146 individuals in 2023.Of these, 466 users received 24-hour institutional care in 2023—398 in an institutional facility and 68 in residential units. Additionally, 1,291 users were included in 16-hour institutional care: 383 in an institutional facility, 472 in residential units, and 436 in residential communities [22]. Similarly to adults, children (until the age of 26) can also be included in Centres for Training, Work and Care (CUDV) – in 2023 there were 388 children involved in CUDVs – in 2023, a total of 388 children received the special education and training program within CUDV, either independently or in combination with institutional care, while 165 individuals (42.5% of all users) received institutional care services [23].

Individuals have the right to borrow the medical aids that they need for treatment, medical rehabilitation, healthcare, and palliative care (e.g. wheelchairs, walking aids, hearing aids and home adaptations (e.g. grab rails, non-slip floors)). Access to these aids is through a referral from a General Practitioner and the costs are partially reimbursed by the Slovenian Health Insurance Fund (ZZZS). In addition, access to more advanced or e-care technologies (e.g. smart home solutions, telecare systems) has been limited and not yet fully integrated into LTC services.

Additionally, e-care services are available in Slovenia, with Telekom Slovenije serving as the main provider through its E-oskrba service. Smaller private companies, such as Caretronic, also offer similar digital care solutions tailored to older adults in need of LTC; however, these services are typically available only through private payment.

In 2023, the Ministry for a Solidary Future (Ministrstvo za solidarno prihodnost) and the Association of Pensioners’ Societies of Slovenia selected Telekom Slovenije as the official provider of the E-oskrba service through a public tender titled “E-oskrba na daljavo” (Remote E-care services). Under this new project, E-Care (a safety phone with an emergency call button, a wristband with an emergency call button, a mobile motion detector pendant with an emergency call button, 24/7 access to an assistance centre, as well as technical support, maintenance, and servicing) are available free of charge for 5,500 eligible users from October 1, 2023, until June 30, 2025, when the entitlement to E-care under the Long-Term Care Act (LTC Act) comes into effect. Funding for e-care services will be available from July 2025 through the LTC Act. This includes a monthly subsidy of 25 euros per user and a one-off payment of 50 euros for the installation of devices (ZDOsk-1).

The LTC workforce in Slovenia consists of informal, unpaid carers (mainly family members) and paid professionals such as nurses, care assistants, social workers and other specialists.  By occupation, the largest share of staff are nursing carers (22.4%), followed by nursing assistants or state-enrolled nurses (17.7%), family assistants and recipients of partial income compensation (14.7%), registered nurses (13.4%), social carers (11.4%), and custodians (8.8%). Smaller proportions include community nurses (4.9%), personal assistants for home care (2.9%), homemakers (2.8%), staff in housing groups (0.7%), and psychiatric care staff (9.4%) [24].

Informal carers provide a large proportion of home care, often without formal support, which has a negative impact on their well-being [12, 25]. Formal care work is highly feminized, with women making up more than 88% of the workforce [24]. In nursing homes, despite the increasing need for care due to the ageing population and the increasing care needs of residents, staffing standards have remained unchanged for over 30 years. Additionally, the LTC workforce in Slovenia is ageing, which contributes to more frequent sick leaves and greater difficulty in performing physically demanding tasks [26]. Additionally, there are notable staff shortages, with current personnel overburdened and limited interest from younger individuals in pursuing such careers [27]. A similar trend exists in community nursing. Džananović Zavrl (2021) reported that the staffing norm – one registered nurse per 2,500 inhabitants is exceeded by an average of 8% [28]. This standard is not met in two-thirds of Slovenia’s statistical regions [29].

Wages for care workers, particularly in residential settings such as nursing homes, are relatively low compared to national averages and do not reflect the physical and emotional demands of the job. To address these issues, the government adopted the Act Regulating Temporary Measures to Improve Personnel and Working Conditions and the Capacities of Providers of Social Assistance and LTC Services (ZZUKDPSS Act) in July 2024, which provides funding for training, the integration of volunteers and the recruitment of foreign workers. Other measures include scholarships for nursing students and the introduction of assistive technologies. However, workforce retention and recruitment remain a major challenge, due to low wages, limited career progression opportunities, and often demanding working conditions, many workers are leaving the sector or are reluctant to enter it in the first place. This might undermine the sustainability of LTC services and jeopardize the successful implementation of the new Long-Term LTC Act. As the Act significantly expands service provision, ensuring an adequate and well-resourced workforce is critical to meet growing care needs and maintain service quality. Ongoing reform efforts are focused not only on expanding the workforce, but also on improving working conditions and professional support across the sector.

LTC information systems are hampered by fragmented data sources. Data is collected from several unconnected databases (from the health system, social protection system, municipal services, etc.), therefore it is difficult to obtain a unified and comprehensive picture of the whole system. For example, for community nursing services, there is currently only an estimate of the share of LTC within these services, but this estimate dates back to 2012 and is therefore no longer reliable. Similarly, estimates of the overlap between various services are also based on outdated and incomplete data.

The LTC Act (2023) foresees the establishment of a unified information system (DIGIDO – Digitalization of LTC) for the field of LTC, with full implementation planned by 2028. In August 2024, the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development approved EU funding for the DIGIDO project, implemented by the Social Protection Institute of the Republic of Slovenia (IRSSV). The project represents a major step toward the digitalization of the LTC and social welfare system, connecting key stakeholders in the LTC and social welfare systems. The key goals are to improve service accessibility, quality, and efficiency, while also reducing administrative burdens in the process of claiming rights. Within the project, IRSSV provides substantive and methodological support to the Ministry for a Solidary-Based Future in developing a unified information system [30].

The adoption of the new legislation is a step towards a more modern and integrated care approach, given the fragmentation of financing, organization, and accessibility of services in the past. Evaluations of the implementation of the current legislation are much needed to assess progress in the implementation in practice of these innovations and to evaluate whether they are resulting in improved delivery and accessibility of LTC in Slovenia. There are a number of projects, currently underway which have the goal to improve quality of life on both family carers and formal carers (e.g. WELLCARE project Investing in the mental wellbeing and resilience of LTC workers and informal carers through the identification, evaluation and promotion of good practices across Europe (https://wellcare-project.eu/), or national projects like Hidden discrimination of informal family carers in employment and work (https://cris.cobiss.net/ecris/si/en/project/20837) or Digitalization of elderly people’s home environments in Slovenia (https://cris.cobiss.net/ecris/si/en/project/20848).

To ensure that all citizens had access to information about the new Long-Term Care Act, the Ministry of Solidarity-Based Future launched a dedicated telephone line in January 2024. Through this service, responses to questions related to the Act were provided during designated time slots. The line remained active until the end of June 2025, as in May 2025 the national information line 114 was officially launched to offer information on both long-term care and the pension reform (thus replacing the previous telephone line managed by the Ministry). The service is available on all working days from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

LTC in Slovenia faces several challenges, although there have also been some positive developments in recent years. Coverage remains limited – many older people who require assistance do not have access to adequate services, particularly in home-based settings. Due to municipalities being responsible for organising and providing home care services, there are significant regional disparities in the availability, accessibility, and affordability of these services. For many older adults with LTC needs (and their family members) residential care is not a viable alternative, as many individuals cannot afford it due to low pensions. Significant inequalities exist among family caregivers in their capacity to provide adequate care and to bridge the gaps left by formal services [14]. Research by Potočnik et al. (2025) highlights that family carers with lower socio-economic status (SES) encounter greater difficulties in compensating for the unavailability and inaccessibility of formal care [14]. In contrast, family caregivers with higher SES generally have more resources and options to address these gaps, often by outsourcing care through private providers or informal grey-market arrangements. Those with lower SES, however, frequently increase their personal caregiving efforts due to financial constraints that limit their ability to purchase care services. This situation raises critical concerns about equity and underscores the disproportionate burden that insufficient formal care places on informal caregivers—especially women [31]. Between 2013 and 2020, the percentage of people aged over 50 who provide informal care in Slovenia rose from 14.9% to 22.8%. Additionally, Slovenia is among the countries with the highest proportion of individuals over 65 living at home who have unmet long-term care needs [32].

Before the adoption of the new LTC Act, the effectiveness of the system was partly reduced due to fragmentation between the health and social care sectors, which has complicated integrated and person-centred care [33]. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the system’s lack of resilience – in terms of staffing shortages and insufficient protective equipment – but also triggered a wider public and policy discussion on the need for reform, therefore, the LTC Act, adopted in 2021 (and revised and adopted in 2023), represents an important step forward towards a more integrated approach to LTC. Looking ahead, key priorities include expanding community-based services, improving workforce conditions, and ensuring stable financing and coordination across sectors.

The Covid-19 pandemic significantly impacted both users and providers of LTC in Slovenia. Older adults, especially those in residential care, faced heightened risks due to staff shortages and limited space, which complicated infection control and diminished care quality [34]. Restrictions like care home closures and reduced home care services increased reliance on informal carers—mostly family members—who often lacked formal support, leading to greater physical and emotional strain [35]. The LTC system struggled to maintain continuity of care amid staffing disruptions caused by infections and increased workloads. Although some financial assistance was offered to vulnerable groups, informal carers’ needs remained insufficiently addressed. These challenges underscored systemic weaknesses, including outdated staffing standards and poor working conditions. Key reports, such as those by the Institute for macroeconomic analysis and development (UMAR) [36], emphasise that, despite temporary funding boosts and crisis measures, long-standing issues like workforce shortages, long waiting times, and underfunding persist. The pandemic highlighted the urgent need to modernize and strengthen Slovenia’s LTC system by improving working conditions, expanding home-based services, and formally recognizing and supporting informal caregivers.

In response to growing challenges associated with population aging, and lessons learned by Covid-19 pandemic, Slovenia took a significant step in 2021 by adopting its first LTC Act (ZDOsk), marking a major shift toward formalizing LTC provision. However, following a change in government, the Act was revised, and the amended version (ZDOsk-1) has been in force since August 3, 2023. Currently, the country is in the transition period from a previously unregulated and fragmented LTC system, within which LTC benefits were provided through various Acts (Social Security Act; Health Care and Health Care Insurance Act, War Veterans Act and War Disabled Act and Social Care for Mentally and Physically Handicapped Persons Act) [1] to a new system which aims to integrate the LTC system. Key measures include the introduction of a national instrument for standardized assessment of individual needs, which will enable uniform determination of care entitlements. The law prioritizes home care, ensuring equal access regardless of place of residence or insurance status. It also establishes a unified, integrated LTC system that includes residential care, day care, home care, financial benefits and support for family caregivers who decide to formalise their status (figure of the Caregiver family member). A major step forward is the introduction of mandatory LTC insurance, to be funded by a 1% contribution from employers, employees, and pensioners, which will come into effect on July 1, 2025. The measures adopted under the new law are being implemented gradually in three stages: starting in January 2024, when the right to a caregiver family member came into effect; in July 2025, when the right to home care and e-care is projected to come into effect; and in December 2025, when the right to LTC in residential facilities and cash-for-care is projected to come into effect. As the LTC Act is still in the early stages of implementation, it is undergoing changes and adjustments. Therefore, continuous monitoring and regular updates of this profile are needed.

Potočnik T., Hlebec V. and Filipovič Hrast M. (2025) Long-Term Care System Profile: Slovenia. Global Observatory of Long-Term Care, Care Policy & Evaluation Centre, London School of Economics and Political Science. https://goltc.org/system-profile/slovenia/

Ministry of Solidarity Based Future  https://www.gov.si/en/policies/health/long-term-care/

Social Protection Institute of the Republic of Slovenia – several reports related to specific parts of the LTC system https://irssv.si/porocila/?_reports_category=dolgotrajna-oskrba (in Slovene)

Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia; https://www.stat.si/StatWeb/en/Field/Index/21/40 (LTC expenditure)

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