A MODEL OF INTEGRATED CARE OF RESIDENTS WITH DEMENTIA – A CASE OF INNOVATION IN LONG-TERM CARE WITH ACCOMMODATION IN SLOVENIA

Sa？etak In all parts of the world, the number of people with dementia is on the increase and dementia is becoming more and more of a challenge for social work, too. In the countries with well-developed care for older people, dementia is part of longterm care; therefore, it is essential to develop new methods of care also in the homes for older people that provide long-term care. Among the innovative forms of care, there is a model of integrated care, based on social work concepts. This model is presented through the case of care for the residents with dementia in one of the old people’s homes in Slovenia. The integrated care of residents with dementia puts an individual at the centre of care provided by the experts employed there. The resident of old people’s home and an expert there create a partnership in which they seek out solutions stemming from the actual situation of the user’s life. In addition to the modified relationships and relations among the residents with dementia and employees, the innovative model of integrated care introduces changes in the role of relatives and the wider community involved in the care of residents with dementia. The central position of a resident with dementia and the equal representation of all other representatives of the resident’s social network provide the preconditions for strengthening the power of the residents with dementia