Financiranje domova za starije i nemoćne osobe u Hrvatskoj

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore financing of the social welfare homes for the elderly and infirm in Croatia. Apart from the legislative framework, the state expenditures for 1) operation of homes founded by the Republic of Croatia, 2) operation of decentralised homes (homes for which the founding rights were passed by the Republic of Croatia to the regional self-government units, i.e. the City of Zagreb and 3) homes users who are not able to pay for their accommodation, even with the help of their families or selling their own real property. The paper shows that the state expenditure for homes in 2014 amounted to almost 250 million HRK, with most of the expenditure covered the losses incurred by decentralised homes. The price of accommodation in these homes is below the market price, which results in demand that surpasses the supply by far. Apart from the price, the accommodation criteria which are currently unclear and uneven should be reconsidered. It is of crucial importance that those who do not have another solution get accommodation in state-owned homes, to reduce the waiting lists, and that the state participates in the payment of the price only for the most financially disadvantaged. The priority in financing homes should be an adjustment of revenue and expenditure on the annual level, in order to make the system long-term fiscally sustainable.