Although two months have passed since the coronavirus outbreak in the Care Home for Older and Dependent Persons in Split, where 19 residents died as a result of the infection, it still remains unresolved whether there were any failings in the actions of the competent authorities. Despite our prompt request for official responses and the passage of time, repeated urgings, and the legal obligation to provide all requested information, we have yet to receive the inspection reports from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Demography, Family, Youth and Social Policy.
In the meantime, we have requested a statement from the Home in Split regarding the residents’ freedom of movement, after receiving complaints from residents who, although mobile, uninfected, and with a separate entrance, are not allowed to leave the premises, but may only take turns walking in the courtyard under staff supervision. This restriction has not been lifted even after the easing of measures across the country, including permission for visits to care homes, the reopening of hospitality venues and shopping centres, and the arrival of a large number of tourists following the reopening of borders. The prohibition of outings has had a severely negative impact on residents, especially after more than two months of complete isolation from the outside world, and it is evident that it will result in their further social exclusion.
We are also conducting inquiries following complaints about the organization of visits in other care homes in Croatia. In one such case, visits are allowed only on weekdays, forcing the complainant to take annual leave in order to visit her grandmother, while in another, visits are permitted exclusively on weekends, which prevents a daughter from seeing her mother as often as she would like. However, such arrangements are not specified in the Guidelines for Residential Service Providers in the Social Welfare System for the Prevention and Suppression of the COVID-19 Epidemic dated 8 and 29 May 2020. Therefore, we have requested that the homes provide explanations for such organization, as well as for any additional restrictions they have introduced that go beyond the scope of the Civil Protection Headquarters’ guidelines.
This is part of the inquiries we have initiated regarding the situation in care homes for older persons during the coronavirus epidemic, and conclusions will be published after all statements have been collected. The rights of older persons are a priority of our institution’s work, both during the epidemic and in regular circumstances, which includes, among other things, recommendations to combat poverty and age-based discrimination, improve access to social, healthcare, and other public services—especially in rural areas—and ensure stronger protection of human rights in care homes and the prevention of abuse of lifelong support contracts. More information is available in the publications on our website and in the annual reports of the Ombudswoman.