Modern society is not measured by how it cares for the strongest but by how it treats the most vulnerable. A dignified farewell is not a privilege but a right. No one in this country should die in distress, loneliness, or without comprehensive care.
For the first time, we have a Ministry for a Solidary Future, yet we ask: Who is this future for if not for the elderly, the sick, and those who need our support and assistance? Preiskovalno.si advocates for the elderly, so we ask Minister Maljevac, whose ministry includes solidarity in its title, what he has been doing for the past three years. We also ask the Minister of Health why the only stationary hospice in Slovenia still does not have a regulated status?!
“I would like to meet my daughter. Now is the time.” These were the words of a terminally ill man in his final hours at Ljubhospic. He wanted to lay down the burden of his past decisions, and the staff at Ljubhospic listened. They found his long-lost daughter so they could reconnect for the first time in 50 years. She agreed. “These are moments full of understanding, connection, and forgiveness,” they say at Ljubhospic. “Only when a person is truly at peace can they depart. And if you are free of burdens, dying is easier,” said Tatjana Fink, head of Ljubhospic.
“An elderly man lies in a corridor of the clinical center. An IV drip feeds him the last drops of life. He receives complete medical care, yet he is alone. He has no one. The rooms are full, and there is no space for him. The doctor has determined that there is nothing more they can do for him, and they do not know where to send him because he has no family. We are in the middle of a doctors’ strike. During this strike, doctors are not required to issue referrals as they are not considered urgent tasks. As a result, this man does not receive a referral to Ljubhospic in his final hours, even though there is a free bed available. No one calls. The man dies 48 hours later in the clinical center’s corridor. The bed at Ljubhospic remained empty the entire time.” (source: Ljubhospic)
These are stories from Ljubhospic, which is celebrating its ninth anniversary. Over this period, 12 health ministers have come and gone, yet none have resolved its status. During the doctors’ strike, the number of referrals to Ljubhospic has decreased, though typically, 70% of patients there come from hospitals.
Where are these people who did not reach the hospice? Did they die alone in hospitals and hallways, near the construction site of the clinical center, listening to the sound of excavators? They had medical care, but nothing else—no personal, spiritual, or social support. In their final moments, some wish for pancakes, some for someone to hold their hand. Perhaps someone to listen to them, to tell them they were extraordinary and that they are not alone. Some wish to see a loved one, to make peace, to ask for forgiveness, or to settle legal matters. “At Ljubhospic, we advocate for comprehensive care—physical, sociological, and psychological. Patients need hope, love, and dignity. Dying is also a spiritual process,” says Tatjana Fink.
How many were deprived of a peaceful farewell during the doctors’ strike is unknown. But dignified dying is a constitutional right. Slovenia defines itself as a social state in its constitution. This means ensuring dignity at all stages of life—including its end. However, reality is different. Hospice care, a crucial part of palliative care for the terminally ill, is still not integrated into the social welfare system. This means it has neither secure funding nor official status.
“If someone wants to bring a relative to us by ambulance, they must pay up to 500 euros for transport. If a future nurse wants to train with us, it will not be recognized as official practice because Ljubhospic lacks the necessary permits. The same applies to medical students.”
We will soon be paying a new contribution for long-term care, yet there is no discussion about comprehensive end-of-life care.
Slovenia’s only stationary hospice, Ljubhospic, operates with financial support from Lekarna Ljubljana (Pharmacy Ljubljana). It has 12 beds, but not all are always occupied. Currently, seven are in use, and the average age of patients is 74. The stay is free, with priority given to residents of Ljubljana. The average stay is around eight days, whereas in Germany, it is 22. “Why does Ljubhospic exist only in Ljubljana? Is the city favoured? Does someone from rural Slovenia not deserve full care at the end of life?” they ask at Ljubhospic. They could serve as a training center; they were even offered additional space to expand, but they lack staff and funding. Why doesn’t the state take action? Last year, Ljubhospic cared for 264 terminally ill patients, and since 2016, they have served over 10,000 people.
Interestingly, professionals from Croatia came to train at Ljubhospic, but they have since surpassed Slovenia, as they promptly secured funding for hospices and established more facilities. In Germany, there are around 1,500 outpatient hospices, 260 stationary hospices for adults, and 18 hospital-based hospices for children and adolescents (data from 2023). In Germany, up to 95% of hospice costs are covered by health and long-term care insurance, with the remaining 5% funded through donations. Since a 2009 law change, patients are exempt from personal contributions. In Poland, 460 hospices have existed since 1989, funded at the primary healthcare level. Even outside the EU, in the UK, there were already 223 stationary hospices in 2020, and home-based palliative care is of exceptionally high quality. The medical aspect of hospice care is fully covered by health insurance, while other care services are 25-35% state-funded, with the remainder covered through donations and humanitarian efforts. Stationary hospices operate within public healthcare. (source: Ljubhospic)
“A dignified death is not a privilege. It is an inalienable human right that must remain free of charge. It is a right to dignity that must be ensured for everyone. These are the final moments of human life, which must not be desecrated,” said Dr. Helena Rožmanc Drašler, who has worked at Ljubhospic for nine years.
“No one should be alone when passing into eternity. Dying is not just an end—it is also an opportunity to mend relationships, to forgive, and to realize that love transcends death.”
These words awaken reflection, forcing individuals out of daily routines to consider their relationships, loved ones, the meaning of life, self-fulfillment, and life’s brevity. In the rush of everyday life, people rarely think about how they want to depart. At Ljubhospic, everything is dedicated to a dignified farewell. If we are truly a social and solidary state, we must prove it through actions—not just words. It is time for the state to support Ljubhospic and secure systemic funding for palliative care finally. In 2010, this was almost achieved, but someone removed the mention of stationary hospice care from the law. Since then, nothing has changed. If not now, when? If not us, who?
As Dr. Marjan Sedej, Director of Pharmacy Ljubljana, and Tatjana Fink, head of Ljubhospic, stated, they visited the government and met with the State Secretary for Public Health, Dr. Metka Paragi. But beyond checking off a meeting, nothing happened.
Death is a taboo in everyday haste, a thought we push away, a mental shift. But for decision-makers, this should be a turning point. A turning point because it is a constitutional issue, because it concerns the most vulnerable group, which is growing in numbers. As Director Sedej concludes, “Ljubhospic is a place where patients are surrounded by warmth, heard, and respected. The will to live remains until the final heartbeat, and in all these years, not a single patient has requested an early end.”
Palliative care is a fundamental part of every country’s healthcare system. Its proper organization reflects the level of social justice, solidarity, and respect for human rights—core values of democracy. Additionally, it relieves the healthcare system by reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and medical costs.
