Deadlocked for 13 years, Osilnica care home goes ahead

Osilnica/Ljubljana – The small border municipality Osilnica in the south of the country and government representatives have signed a deal under which the state will finance the completion of a care home for the elderly Osilnica started building in 2004 but put on hold in 2008 due to a shortage of funds.

The new facility will also have a rehabilitation centre, and is slated for completion by September 2023.

Mayor Alenka Kovač, whose municipality has so far invested EUR 1.5 million in the project, hopes champagne will be opened to celebrate the new care home in two years’ time.

The agreement was signed in Ljubljana on Friday by representatives of the ministries in charge of social affairs and health, Osilnica, two social care centres, and the URI Soča, the country’s leading rehabilitation institute.

It comes in response to a number of calls from the municipality and the elderly from Osilnica area to complete the project, said Cveto Uršič, a state secretary at the Ministry of Labour, the Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.

“The previous governments promised for years to complete the home, but this government heeded the calls and will implement them,” said Uršič.

Robert Cugelj, a state secretary at the Health Ministry, sees the project important from the aspect of access to health services, as it will give Osilnica locals better access to rehabilitation services.

The mayor is meanwhile happy that the first step towards completing the care home was taken after so many years. She also sees it very important to keep the municipality, which is located on the border with Croatia, populated.

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