This article presents an innovative environment offering support to the elderly, and discusses its importance and operation, the efforts and achievements made to date in developing of presented innovation, and the premises for implementing it in society based on elderly people’s opinions about living in such advanced living environments. The findings show that the main goal of implementation must be assigning meaning to and understanding the concept of innovative built environments among users; in addition, they show that rapid changes in implementing innovative built environments into society are not to be expected. A major step in this regard would already be achieved if the living environments of the elderly were intentionally remodelled following the design-for-all principle, if architectural barriers were removed in them, and if new homes were built without these barriers. This alone would make it possible for the elderly to remain in their homes longer while also providing a basis for converting these living environments into smart homes by using modern assistive technologies in the future.
COBISS.SI-ID: 2577091
Due to ageing of the population, the issue of suitable housing provision for the elderly is becoming increasingly critical. Several types of housing are available to the elderly in Slovenia, and this article focuses on the two most widespread forms: eldercare facilities and owner-occupied housing. It presents their features, critically analyses the problems connected with both types of housing and presents solutions to these problems. The article is based on an analysis of relevant research literature, statistical data and the findings of studies dealing with this topic. It discusses and introduces new findings on possible ways of ensuring an adequate level of housing provision for the elderly in Slovenia in the future.
COBISS.SI-ID: 2571203
This paper discusses evaluation in care homes, with a focus on participative evaluation, which specifically aims to empower people through participation, the development of valid local knowledge and further changes in the organisational culture in care homes. After an overview of various methods generally used to assess the quality of services, we use the model of participative evaluation as a yardstick against which to examine the quality of the evaluation practices among Slovenian care homes.
COBISS.SI-ID: 32716637