For increased independence of the elderly at home
The elderly are among the most vulnerable groups during this epidemic and the care for them is therefore the focus of our attention. The Home Care Institution Ljubljana is now offering the elderly and their families free therapeutic/consultative support via telephone that would contribute to the increased independence of the elderly in their home environment.
Occupational therapists of the Home Care Institution Ljubljana guide the elderly and their family members via telephone through physical and breathing exercises and advise them on how to maintain skills for their everyday activities. Their consultative support includes advise on how to best roll over in bed, how to sit up, get up or transfer to a wheelchair, and guidance on how to arrange their living area to prevent falls and how to use medical technical devices.
Special attention for people suffering from dementia
The therapists place special attention on people suffering from dementia. In their conversations, they focus on maintaining mental processes and also advising the family members who are dealing with numerous questions about daily activities of the person with dementia. The therapists may introduce them to relaxation techniques for both people suffering from dementia and their family members.
Free counselling every work day
Occupational therapists of the Home Care Institution Ljubljana are available for counselling free of charge via telephone from Monday to Friday, between 8 am and 3 pm.
Occupational therapeutic counselling via telephone is part of the CrossCare European project, an integrated approach to home care for the elderly, which is financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the Interreg Program SL-HR.
Volunteers are keeping the elderly company
At the beginning of the health crisis, a network of volunteers was formed under the auspices of the Home Care Institution Ljubljana. They want to make days easier for the elderly by talking to them over the phone, especially to those who are left alone without any social network and feel anxious during present circumstances. If the elderly need help with food or medicine deliveries and emergency transportation, the volunteers will direct them to the relevant organisations.
Call the Home Care Institution Ljubljana if you want to be added to the contact list and be contacted by one of our volunteers. They will then call your number from the list and talk to you about their work responsibilities, the cultural institutions in the city and also about everyday topics to help fight loneliness of the elderly. Our volunteers have already woven beautiful stories with the elderly and become their true confidants.
The volunteer network consists of the employees and volunteers of the Home Care Institution Ljubljana and other cultural public institutions, i.e. Ljubljana City Theatre, Ljubljana Puppet Theatre, Mladinsko Theatre, Pionirski dom, International Centre of Graphic Arts, museum and galleries of Ljubljana, Mala ulica, Kino Šiška, Ljubljana City Library, Young Dragons and Kinodvor.
For active and quality life of the young during the epidemic
The time of restricted movement is also very demanding for young people. They are used to a free way of life, choosing their activities, socialising and moving around and can be quickly found in a vicious circle of anxiety and (self)reflection on the meaning of life during the #stayathome period.
The public institution Young Dragons also organises quality and active leisure time for young people during this epidemic. Since all of their centres are closed, the digital youth centre DigiMC was opened, where young people can choose content according to their own interests, participate in conversations and other activities. On Friday afternoons, they organise talk shows (called Talk šou) with interesting guests.
Health care for citizens of Ljubljana during the epidemic
In the current epidemiological circumstances in the country and in Ljubljana, we face growing coronavirus infection figures and the risk of spreading COVID-2019 on a daily basis. Constant adjustments are therefore necessary, including in the Community Health Centre Ljubljana where radical changes to their established work process were implemented.
In order to prevent the spreading of infection among health care workers and patients, the number of doctor visits has been decreased and telemedicine by telephone or other telecommunication means introduced. This is a novelty for both the patients and medical staff. However, the goal remains the same: to ensure medical care for patients infected with COVID-19, to handle all other urgent medical conditions and help prevent the deterioration of chronic patients’ conditions, while at the same time preserve a sustainable health care system at the primary level.
During the current epidemiological situation, the community health centres in Ljubljana provide all urgent curative health care services for their patients and regular check-ups of children up to 12 months of age, including vaccination. Patients who were scheduled for their regular check-ups were rescheduled in the period after the epidemic. Physiotherapy and health education workshops are not being organised at the moment.
Ljubljana City Library delivers technical literature to your home
The demand for literature from our libraries has been growing ever since they were closed, so the Ljubljana City Library decide to offer its members an option to order technical literature that is then sent to their homes by post.
They want to facilitate access to literature by students and high schoolers who are currently studying at home. Members of the Ljubljana City Library can order online up to five titles of their study material per one order. They can only order technical literature and fiction, which is part of the curriculum, i.e. home reading and obligatory reading.
The library staff will prepare and dispatch the parcels on the very same day, while following key recommendations of the National Institute of Public Health and safety measures for shipping. The borrowed material will remain the members’ possession until the libraries open again without any financial repercussions or late fees.
Reading is spreading online
During the closure of libraries, the Ljubljana City Library tries to enable as many reading pleasures as possible for their readers online.
The e-library Biblos offers access to almost 2,500 e-book titles for adults and children (the collection has regularly been updated with new titles) and also 4,000 titles of Pressreader daily newspaper and magazines from more than one hundred countries in more than sixty languages.
Remote registration
All of you bookworms can register with the Ljubljana City Library remotely and without membership fee. Our existing members can borrow e-books regardless of their membership fee status or any other unsettled obligations to the library.
Get your films from the library
Ljubljana City Library is the only library in Slovenia that facilitates free online access to a quality collection of motion pictures and documentaries on their platform Kanopy. Members can choose from more than 30,000 film titles, including for children.
Ideas for quality leisure time with children
Children and their parents can access content from the library website, such as listening to or reading fairy tales, taking quizzes, drawing and solving riddles.
On the YouTube channel of the Ljubljana City Library they can watch videos of cultural events and lectures that took place in our libraries.
We offer children quality cultural content
Ljubljana’s public cultural institutions focus particularly on children during the epidemic.
You can find interesting tips on the website of the Ljubljana City Library for children and young adults on how to enjoy leisure time reading and being creative in your home environment during the closure of libraries. You can read or listen to fairy tales, draw or solve riddles, take an online quiz Robinzonijada in the information society or a quiz about Slovenian libraries and museums, and learn about library and online safety.
Pionirski dom moved its activities to Facebook during the epidemic. Their mentors read fairy tales, prepare interesting challenges and other content to keep children and young adults entertained.
Mala ulica also moved its content online. On their Facebook page they give advice on how to use time well for playing with your children and ask parents to share their experience. Every evening at 7.05 pm they read a good night story for little children.
Ljubljana Puppet Theatre offers access to the work videos of some of their shows; so far they published 12 shows for children and adolescents online. Their most viewed show Vihar v glavi (Eng. Storm in the Head) was seen by almost 19 thousand viewers during the epidemic.
Volunteers help control and issue warnings
Volunteers from Ljubljana’s firefighter association and members of Ljubljana’s mountain rescue association and civil protection unit help city wardens and inspectors with control tasks and the issuing of warnings.
The City of Ljubljana has been striving to stop the spread of the coronavirus epidemic since its outbreak through different measures in accordance with the instructions of the Slovenian government and the National Institute of Public Health.
We focus primarily on promoting the responsible behavior of our citizens. We call upon them to stay at home and go outside individually or accompanied by family members, to find deserted paths and keep distance if they encounter other people.
City wardens and inspectors perform control tasks and issue warnings, particularly in the area of pharmacies, schools, kindergartens, shops, gas stations, playgrounds, buildings, parks, and public recreational and other areas. They replace damaged safety bands and make sure damages on fences and other infrastructure that block access are repaired.
Volunteers from 35 firefighter associations that operate in Ljubljana help city wardens and inspectors with control tasks and the issuing of warnings. This means that two associations will be active in each city quarter. They will be supported by the members of Ljubljana’s mountain rescue association, especially on hiking paths (Šmarna gora, Rožnik), and the city’s civil protection unit.
Additional space temporarily provided for the homeless
During the coronavirus epidemic, we are caring for the most vulnerable groups of citizens, including the homeless. We are thus temporarily allowing the homeless to use buildings that are close to the city centre.
Two shelters are available to the homeless. In addition, the City of Ljubljana’s Public Housing Fund is leasing housing units to non-government organisations that function in the public interest and implement housing care programmes in those units. The Slovenian chapter of the Society of St Vincent de Paul volunteer association has one housing unit under lease, while the process of leasing another unit is in progress. The Kralji ulice association of homeless persons has nine housing units under lease. Nevertheless, we are aware that space where the homeless can live and sleep is running out.
We have ensured that the homeless have shelter and a roof over their head, even in these difficult times, by temporarily allowing them to use buildings located at Rimska cesta 3. That space, measuring 345 m2, was handed over for management to the Kralji ulice association free of charge. We placed 20 folding beds with sheets and blankets, and provided free water, electricity and heating. The aforementioned association is responsible for ensuring order, disinfecting and cleanliness.
We are demonstrating solidarity, compassion and patience to those in need!
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