South Moravian Regional authorities are to increase availability of outreach services and build a modern home for the elderly in areas affected by last year’s tornado. Photo credit: S-centrum Hodonín on Facebook
Czech Republic, 9 June (BD) – The South Moravian Region has approved funding of CZK 15 million to support field services in the Hodonín and Břeclav regions. Last June, a tornado swept through the area and destroyed the S-centrum Hodonín, a home for the elderly. A new subsidy programme and the upcoming construction of a Special Needs Home with shared living in Rohatec will replace the damaged S-centre.
“We want to start this new project to help those who are caring for their loved ones at home. And when we were choosing the region, Hodonín made the most sense, as there is lower capacity here due to the tornado,” said South Moravian Governor Jan Grolich.
“We see increased pressure, not only on residential facilities in the Hodonín and Breclav regions, but also on outreach services,” added Regional Councillor for Social and Family Policy, Jana Leitnerová. “Therefore, until a new modern and suitable building for the service of a home with a special regime is built, we will provide support for field social services through this subsidy programme. We also know from public opinion polls that 7 out of 10 seniors want to live at home, and we want to make it possible for them to do so.”
The S-Center was built as a home for the elderly 20 years ago, when it housed people who were mostly independent and largely self-sufficient. As they got older, their health deteriorated and dementia set in. At the time of the tornado, the organisation was already providing dual services: a 35-bed home for the elderly and a 106-bed home providing special care. On this basis, the South Moravian Region Assembly decided last June that from 1 January 2022 there would only be a special care home, where clients are immobile, possibly with some form of dementia, and their care requirements are therefore highly specialised.
“The demographic data speaks clearly. An ageing population brings with it an increase in the number of people with dementia. Our experts have recommended the establishment of a completely new facility that will meet the legislative requirements for a care home,” explained Grolich.
The regional home for 128 clients in Rohatec is expected to be ready in mid-2026. The two-storey building with two wings will offer modern living in shared households just for the clients of the special regime home.
“Yesterday, the council selected the construction manager, and in parallel, preparations for the construction using the Design and Build method are underway,” added Regional councillor for investment, Vladimír Šmerda. “We also want to show with the example of Rohatec that we can build such public innovative projects well and quickly. For example, the Children’s Spa with speleotherapy in Ostrov u Macocha won an honourable mention in the Sustainable Public Procurement category in the prestigious Procura+ 2021 competition. It also came second in the Best Achievement in Public Procurement category of the Neplejtvák 2021 award. And Rohatec is scheduled to be completed even six months faster than the children’s hospital.”
“The South Moravian Region is negotiating the sale of the existing S-centre building to the city of Hodonín. We want the building to remain in public hands,” added Grolich.
