a day structure on an ongoing basis takes a great deal of effort. In conversations with commissions, older users of occupational therapy workshops explicitly expressed the wish to “start their retirement”, i.e. sleep longer in the mornings or stay in the residential home during the day and remarked that it was important for them not to feel (subliminally) “pressurised” in any way. Statutory regulations and strict requirements in funding guidelines are to blame for the fact that elderly persons with disabilities do not have the option of making their day structure more flexible in accordance with their wishes. Thus, for example, in the case of fully-assisted living and housing facilities in Vienna, according to the Vienna Social Fund’s funding guidelines an individual must attend a day workshop all day and 5 days per week. A maximum of 50 days of absence (including holidays and sick days) are permitted. Strict requirements regarding number of hours of attendance are inadequate The Vienna Social Fund assured the NPM that in Vienna so far no one has lost a residential place and had to transfer to a nursing home due to age. It pointed out that considerable effort is made to meet the needs of elderly persons with disabilities, for example by hiring more trained staff or acquiring nursing beds, wheelchairs, etc. It also stated that there are various individual solutions available to elderly persons with disabilities who no longer wish to stay at the work structure for the entire day, e.g. late start, early end, leave of absence. However, individual solutions do not alter the basic fact that elderly persons with disabilities often feel pressured. Rigid requirements concerning the number of hours of attendance combined with pressure to comply with these requirements so as to avoid losing a place in an assisted living and housing facility, are considered a huge constraint. The NPM is of the following opinion: Today persons with or without disabilities are living longer, which means the requirements relating to support for persons with disabilities are changing. This trend presents new opportunities, but at the same time the viewpoint of persons with disabilities must be sensitively taken into account. Much greater attention must be paid to their wishes concerning the location, type and scheduling of day programmes. The NPM is supportive of the idea that elderly persons with disabilities should be able to live as long as possible in the place where they have lived for decades and made their home. In particular when it comes to providing assistance for persons with disabilities, provision of care and medication for individuals who need help is part of an accompanying process. However, in contrast with the situation in acute care, it is not the focus of concerns. Thus, it is not 83