Kontakt 2021, 23(4):315-322 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2021.038

Social and health care services from a public health perspective: access to social and health care services for the elderly (60+) in the region of Gemer in SlovakiaSocial Sciences in Health - Original article

Andrea Seberíni1, *, Miriam Martinkovičová1, Miroslava Tokovská2, Ursula Småland Goth2, 3
1 Matej Bel University Banská Bystrica, Faculty of Economics, Banská Bystrica, Slovak Republic
2 Kristiania University College, Kirkegata, Oslo, Norway
3 NLA University College, Oslo, Norway

After the age of 60 many elderly people experience increasing health problems and have an increased need for social and health care services. Slovakia will experience an aging population and the aim of this study was to assess their future needs and analyze access to social and health care services in Slovakia. Qualitative and quantitative data was obtained by a survey based on closed and open questions and interviewing two focus groups. Data was gained from 59 mayors of the South Gemer Region (Slovakia). The qualitative data was analyzed by phenomenological analysis and the quantitative data by descriptive statistical analysis. Our data showed a severe capacity challenge at various public retirement homes; additionally, the national and municipal services are not fully integrated. Furthermore, we detected that the needs of elderly people are often fulfilled by next of kin. We conclude that in the years to come there will be insufficient social and health care services in Slovakia. We recommend that the coordination of social and health care services for the elderly takes place at a national and regional level.

Keywords: Access to social and health care services; Elderly; Informal caregivers; Slovakia
Grants and funding:

This research paper originated as partial fulfilment of a pilot research project and with the support of the community-based social service centres as a tool of multi-level partnership for providing long-term care in Slovakia, a project financed by the European Commission, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, VP/2019/003.

Conflicts of interest:

The authors have no conflict of interests to declare.

Received: May 4, 2021; Revised: August 3, 2021; Accepted: October 1, 2021; Prepublished online: October 13, 2021; Published: December 6, 2021  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Seberíni A, Martinkovičová M, Tokovská M, Småland Goth U. Social and health care services from a public health perspective: access to social and health care services for the elderly (60+) in the region of Gemer in Slovakia. Kontakt. 2021;23(4):315-322. doi: 10.32725/kont.2021.038.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Act No. 576/2004 on health care and on services related to health care [zákon o zdravotnej starostlivosti, službách súvisiacich s poskytovaním zdravotnej starostlivosti a o zmene a doplnení niektorých zákonov]. In: Zbierka zakonov, 2004-11-01, čiastka 243, pp. 5238-5424.
    2. Act No. 448/2008 on social services [Zákon o sociálnych službách a o zmene a doplnení zákona č. 455/1991 Zb. o živnostenskom podnikaní (živnostenský zákon) v znení neskorších predpisov]. In: Zbierka zakonov, 2008-11-20, čiastka 165, pp. 3844-3897.
    3. Bartosovic I, Zacharova E, Zrubakova K, Gazikova E, West DJ, Costello MM (2017). Demographic Characteristics of Population Ageing in Slovakia. Clinical Social Work and Health Intervention. 8(3): 7-14. DOI: 10.22359/cswhi_8_3_01. Go to original source...
    4. Birtha M, Holm K (2017). Who cares? Study on the challenges and needs of family carers in Europe. Families Europe, Brussel, 68 p. [online] [cit. 2021-01-22]. Available at: http://www.coface-eu.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/COFACE-Families-Europe_Study-Family-Carers.pdf
    5. Brimblecombe N, Fernandez J-L, Knapp M, Rehill A, Wittenberg R (2018). Review of the International Evidence on Support for Unpaid Carers. Ann Longterm Care, pp. 25-40. DOI: 10.31389/jltc.3. Go to original source...
    6. Broese van Groenou MI, De Boer A (2016). Providing informal care in a changing society. Eur J Ageing 13(3): 271-279. DOI: 10.1007/s10433-016-0370-7. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    7. Eurostat (2019). EUROPOP2019 population projections. Projected old-age dependency ratio. [online] [cit. 2021-02-11]. Available at (last update 02/2021): https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tps00200/default/table?lang=en
    8. Gajdoš P (2015). Ako sa mení vidiek na Slovensku. Bratislava: Sociologický ústav SAV.
    9. Graneheim UH, Lindgren B-M, Lundman B (2017). Methodological Challenges in Qualitative Content Analysis: A Discussion Paper. Nurse Educ Today 56: 29-34. DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2017.06.002. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    10. Green J, Thorogood N (2018). Qualitative Methods for Health Research (4th ed.) CA: Sage Publications. [online] [cit. 2021-01-22]. Available at: https://www.amazon.com/Qualitative-Methods-Health-Research-Introducing/dp/1473997119
    11. Groves RM, Fowler FJ, Jr., Couper MP, Lepkowski JM, Singer E, Tourangeau R (2013). Survey Methodology. 2nd ed. Wiley Publication, 496 p.
    12. Hoffmann F, Rodrigues R (2010). Informal carers. Who takes care of them? Policy Brief 4/ 2010. Vienna: European Centre. [online] [cit. 2021-01-22]. Available at: https://www.euro.centre.org/publications/detail/387
    13. Ivankova NV (2014). Implementing Quality Criteria in Designing and Conducting a Sequential QUAN  QUAL Mixed Methods Study of Student Engagement With Learning Applied Research Methods Online. J Mix Methods Res 8(1): 25-51. DOI: 10.1177/1558689813487945. Go to original source...
    14. Jehlička P, Kostelecký T, Smith J (2013). Food Self-Provisioning in Czechia: Beyond the Coping Strategy of the Poor: a Response to Alber and Kohler's 'Informal Food Production in the Enlarged European Union' (2008). Social Indicators Research 111(1): 219-234. Go to original source...
    15. Kamberelis G, Dimitriadis G (2011). Focus Groups: Contingent Articulations of Pedagogy, Politics, and Inquiry. Sage Publication.
    16. Katreniakova Z, Levyova M, Nemcikova M (2019). Current Status and Needs of Changes in Long-term Care in the Slovak Republic: Informal Carers, Social and Health Services in the Field. Journal Socioterapie 5(1): 33-39.
    17. Krueger RA, Casey MA (2014). Focus Groups. A Practical Guide for Applied Research. (5th ed.). CA: Sage Publications, 280 p.
    18. Kvale S, Brinkmann S (2015). Det kvalitative forskingnsintervju. Oslo: Gyldendal akademisk, 384 p.
    19. Li J, Song Y (2019). Formal and Informal Care. In: Gu D, Dupre M (Eds). Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging. Springer, Cham. [online] [cit. 2021-01-22]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2_847-1 Go to original source...
    20. Martinkovičová M, Kika M (2016). Neplatená práca ako tradičný fenomén slovenských domácností. In: Uramová M, Orviská M (Eds). Neplatená práca na Slovensku, pp. 99-145. Banská Bystrica: Vydavateľstvo Univerzity Mateja Bela - Belianum.
    21. Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic (2020). Správa o sociálnej situácii obyvateľstva Slovenskej republiky za rok 2019 [The report on the social situation of inhabitants in the Slovak Republic in 2019]. [online] [cit. 2021-01-22]. Available at: https://www.employment.gov.sk/sk/ministerstvo/vyskum-oblasti-prace-socialnych-veci-institut-socialnej-politiky/spravy-socialnej-situacii-obyvatelstva/rok-2019.html
    22. Pickard L (2015). A growing Care Gap? The Supply of Unpaid Care for Older People by Their Adult Children in England to 2032. Ageing Soc 35(1): 96-123. DOI: 10.1017/S0144686X13000512. Go to original source...
    23. Rodrigues R, Schulmann K, Schmidt A, Kalavrezou N, Matsaganis M (2013). The Indirect Costs of Long-term Care. Research note. [online] [cit. 2021-01-22]. Available at: https://www.euro.centre.org/publications/detail/415
    24. Slovak Republic in Figures 2020 (2020). Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. Bratislava. [online] [cit. 2021-01-22]. Available at: https://slovak.statistics.sk/PortalTraffic/fileServlet?Dokument=71b9f25c-4391-4f3e-aa65-cea675479b26
    25. Ślusarska B, Bartoszek A, Kocka K, Deluga A, Chrzan-Rodak A, Nowicki G (2019). Quality of Life Predictors in Informal Caregivers of Seniors with a Functional Performance Deficit. An Example of Home Care in Poland. Clin Interv Aging 14: 889-903. DOI: 10.2147/CIA.S191984. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    26. Stojak Z, Jamiolkowski J, Chlabicz S, Marcinowicz L (2019). Levels of Satisfaction, Workload stress and Support Amongst Informal Caregivers of Patients Receiving or not Receiving Long-term Home Nursing Care in Poland: A Cross-sectional Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health 16(7): 1189. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16071189. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    27. Vaňo B (2015). Súčasný a očakávaný populačný vývoj na Slovensku a jeho spoločenské a ekonomické dopady [Current and Expected Population Development in Slovakia and its Social and Economic Impact]. Prognostické práce 7(3): 273-293.
    28. Waniger A, Gale K, DeNomie M, Nelson D (2019). Community and Caregiver Perceptions of Giving Care to Seniors. Int J Psychiatry Med 54(4-5): 307-315. DOI: 10.1177/0091217419860726. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    29. Wilson A (2015). A Guide to Phenomenological Research. Nurs Stand 29(34): 38-43. DOI: 10.7748/ns.29.34.38.e8821. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    30. World Population Ageing (2017). Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (ST/ESA/SER.A/397). United Nations: New York. [online] [cit. 2021-01-22]. Available at: https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/ageing/WPA2017_Highlights.pdf
    31. Zigante V (2018). Informal Care in Europe. Exploring Formalisation, Availability and Quality. European Commision. London School of Economics and Political Science. [online] [cit. 2021-03-09]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=19681〈Id=en

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content