Download the agenda of the WG meeting here.
- Tom van Benthem, chair WG Wellbeing & Ageing
- Tour de table participants
- City of Zagreb (Vice Mayor or Head of Office for Social Protection)
- Home for the elderly st. Joseph (director; social worker)
- The Zagreb Center for Independent Living “ZAC “ (director)
- Dr. Simona Topolinjak
- Home for the Elderly Medveščak
- Feedback and reviews of the first day
- Experiences of all cities (WG) on dealing with workforce shortages
- Conclusion and recommendation
- Presentation WG working plan for the next period
- Location of next working group meeting
- Tom van Benthem, Chair WG Wellbeing & Ageing
Conference on Long-Term Care
Following the Working Group meeting, members are warmly invited to attend the Conference on Long-Term Care, organised by the City of Zagreb on 3 December 2026.
Bringing together perspectives from across Europe, this one-day conference will explore what it takes to build accessible, coordinated and person-centred care and support.
The conference will address Long term care (LTC) needs across different ages and life circumstances, reflecting the perspectives of beneficiaries, families and carers, service providers and public authorities.
In 2022, only 0.3% of people aged 65 and over in Croatia accessed home-based LTC services, compared with an EU average of 5.5%. Among family carers, 55% reported living with a chronic illness or disability themselves, highlighting the need for coordinated support for both beneficiaries and carers. National public expenditure on LTC amounted to around 0.95% of GDP in 2023, below the EU average of 1.7%. Against this background, discussions will explore how cities, national authorities and service providers can work together to improve access to integrated care and support and strengthen the sustainable funding of services.
The planned format combines plenary presentations and a panel discussion featuring Croatian and international speakers, alongside two focused workshops:
- Care through lived experience: beneficiaries’ perspectives, priorities and expectations, with an emphasis on dignity, choice and continuity of support.
- Making care work locally: the role of cities, counties and local partners in connecting services and translating policy into practice.
Simultaneous interpretation in Croatian and English will be available.
Members are warmly invited to bring their experience, questions and ideas to Zagreb and help shape the next steps.
The full programme and participation details will follow.