adverse effects of non-compliance with a diet be explained to the resident despite a signed statement and that the residents be encouraged to accept the prescribed diet. As the identification badges of staff are important to facilitate their identification and communication with relatives or the identification of an employee in the event of wishing to file a complaint, it was recommended that staff are provided with appropriate badges or patches enabling such identification. It was further recommended that special records be kept for periodic psychiatric examinations, as this would reduce the search time while at the same time also reducing the possibility of overlooking a resident who might need an examination. The retirement home should also consider setting up a system allowing relatives to make an appointment if they wish to talk to the resident’s doctor. It was recommended that the retirement home and the attending psychiatrist set up a system which will ensure that deadlines for submitting requests for prolonging detention will no longer be exceeded. A transparent record of complaints should be set up enabling a better overview of the number and type of complaints, and serving as a reminder of what could be improved to increase residents’ satisfaction. It was recommended that the residents’ ability and interest in participating in elections is continuously checked, as this is a constitutional right of every individual.. Horjul Retirement Home Pets in the department On 24 October 2017, we visited Fužine Retirement Home. This was the first visit to this social care institution in the context of implementing the duties and powers of the NPM. During the visit, 18 recommendations were made. In light of its response to the preliminary report, Fužine Retirement Home accepted eight recommendations but has not yet implemented them. It has implemented seven recommendations, although we need to point out three recommendations which it rejected. In addition to the recommendations which are explicitly stated below, the NPM also recommended that the retirement home should update information or activities on the website on time, if the website is active; that it pay special attention to the residents during construction works or the refurbishment of secure residential units; that it appropriately inform residents about the refurbishment and its duration and purpose; and that it see to the residents’ well-being during refurbishment. It was recommended that the retirement home again contact the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities with regard to the verification of secure residential units, and inform us of the Ministry’s response. So as to help the residents find their way in the facility, the retirement home should include not only the room number and the name of its resident on or next to the door, but also a photo of the resident, and photos of their favourite things, hobbies, their past job or similar. It was also recommended that residents and their family members be encouraged to bring personal items and furnish the room to their linking, and that the retirement home continue monitoring (theoretical and practical) innovations in the treatment of people with dementia, and to change or update the work concept. Our expert believes that it would be sensible to ensure the presence of healthcare personnel in the secure residential units also during the night, while with the planned refurbishment it would be appropriate to consider ensuring a room for healthcare personnel in the secure residential units. It is the expert’s opinion that this would enable better supervision of and faster assistance to residents in the secure residential units during the night. The NPM expressed its opinion that continuous monitoring of the satisfaction level of residents and their family members, as well as that of staff, is an effective way of recognising the (dis)satisfaction of these groups of people, and it therefore recommended that the retirement home continue to measure the satisfaction levels of these three categories in the future. Our expert recommended that the circumstances of using specific drugs when required be added to the medical records (with insomnia, anxiety), and that the number of doses in a single day be consistently provided. Residents who are prescribed several different drugs which might affect the QT interval should be checked by ECG monitoring. We further recommended that every resident’s complaint be answered in writing and the decision correspondingly IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE NPM IN 2017 NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM UNDER THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE UN CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT 43