On 5 February 2026, a constructive and substantive meeting was held with representatives of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, Mr Vladimir Makraić, Assistant Minister, and Ms Tatjana Gajić, Senior Expert Associate for Support to Persons with Disabilities, to discuss issues related to amendments and supplements to the Rulebook on exercising the right to home care and assistance.
During the meeting, findings of relevant research were presented, along with concrete proposals and initiatives. It was particularly emphasized that the initiative for amendments and supplements to the Rulebook was submitted by the association “DON”, and that the proposed solutions were developed through a broad consultative process. The initiative and proposed solutions were shaped through direct discussions and exchange of experiences with social welfare centres, citizens – service users and their family members, as well as relevant associations, which provides additional grounding in the real needs identified in practice.
This approach enabled the involvement of key actors within the social protection system in the proposal development process, with the aim of identifying sustainable, applicable, and user-accessible solutions.
Key topics and proposals discussed at the meeting included:
- Introduction of gerontological caregivers as a standardized and systemic solution within home care and assistance services;
- Amendments to existing quotas for user selection, aiming to ensure a fairer and more realistic coverage of those most in need of the service;
- Models and quotas for co-financing the service, with clearer definition of obligations of users and family members;
- Development and harmonisation of regulations at the local level to enable more flexible and efficient implementation of services in line with the specific needs of local communities.
- Representatives of the Ministry expressed readiness to continue dialogue and consider the proposed solutions, emphasizing the importance of intersectoral cooperation and the inclusion of all relevant stakeholders in the process of improving this right.
Next steps
As a next phase, it was agreed that written proposals and detailed explanations of the suggested amendments will be submitted in the coming weeks, after which they will be considered within discussions at the Ministry of Health and Social Protection.
It is expected that this process will contribute to improving the legal and institutional framework and enable a sustainable, accessible, and quality system of home care and assistance, benefiting service users, their families, and local communities.
