Although the pandemic in most EU countries, including Slovakia, has suspended the long-term growth of average life expectancy for some time, according to assumptions, in 2040 the average life expectancy in our country will exceed 80 years.

Thanks to science, modern technologies and innovations in medicine, every generation has the chance to live a few years longer. Today's schoolchildren will most likely live almost twenty years longer than their grandparents. Compared to these data, however, the average number of years lived in good health is somewhat lower - in Slovakia it hovers around the 57-year mark, while it is slightly higher for women than for men.

Related to these forecasts is the assumption of a constantly growing demand for social and health services - primarily in the field of long-term care, remedial care, nursing and the construction of social facilities. Are we prepared – legislatively, financially, professionally or in terms of personnel – to care for our elderly or disabled loved ones without an indicated acute illness? These are also some of the questions that the ITAPA Health & Care 2024 conference will raise in the CARE section - it will take place on March 26 and 27 in Bešeňová. If you are a professional in the field of health and healthcare, come listen to presentations, participate in discussions and experience workshops that will expand your knowledge and skills. Doctors and medical personnel can take advantage of a favorable 25% discount when registering.

The topic of CARE will be opened by a block on current challenges and solutions in long-term care, on whether the current legislation is a support tool, and on the future of its financing. Jozef Šuvada, who represents Slovakia in the Governing Council of the World Health Organization (WHO), will speak about global health in long-term care. Prof. Šuvada is also an honorary ambassador of the Slovak Republic for global health and is active and respected in international scientific, research and humanitarian organizations. In the subsequent discussion, he will be joined by representatives of the Association of Social Service Providers in the Slovak Republic and the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic. Key players in the long-term care provider network will take turns on stage with presentations under the umbrella theme of Health and Human Dignity: A Revolution in the Management of the Infirm.

Despite the fact that ITAPA brings improved formats and current topics every year, the proven model is moderated discussions. Guests will talk about the fundamental issue of having enough qualified, loyal and sufficiently motivated human capital in long-term care in the block Navigation of challenges and strategies for personnel stability in social and health services.

Michal Tariška from the Social Insurance Company will talk about financial assistance in a 1on1 interview.

The dynamic sequence will be followed by presentations and discussions about integrated data or examples of good practice in data analytics and prediction, professional nursing services in the field, or the future of informal nursing from a European perspective and under Slovak conditions.

Combining presentations with practical demonstrations is a common part of modern professional events. For the participants of the ITAPA Health & Care 2024 conference, workshops designed for head nurses of social service homes, managers of hospitals and medical facilities, and social nurses have been prepared exactly in this line. One of the workshops focuses on the effective management of follow-up care after the patient has been discharged from the hospital and the presentation of innovative tools and modules. The next workshop will teach how to manage the risk of destabilization in practice if we perceive it as a tool for developing the quality of care of this type or how to evaluate and increase the quality of nursing care.

Register for the ITAPA Health & Care 2024 conference here. Get to know new trends and best experiences in the field of healthcare, health care, innovations in healthcare or legislation. Expand your knowledge, meet the best experts from Slovakia and abroad and establish new contacts. Join us and prepare for the future. ITAPA is also your opportunity.