1.1 Visits to social care institutions (residential homes for the elderly) SW of Danijel Halas Home is not equipped with call bells. In this nursing home, the residents of other wards have special “nurse call system wrist pagers”. The nursing home explained that the SW residents do not have them because a household caregiver is constantly present on the ward. The NPM considered the absence of a call system in the SW as a deficiency, which is a matter of grave concern especially at night time when no employee is constantly present on the ward (the rounds on this ward are carried out every hour), while shared premises also lack video surveillance. The SW accommodates persons who owing to their needs must constantly be given special protection and care. These are persons with the most demanding long–term mental conditions and due to old-age dementia or related conditions, need partial or full assistance. Therefore, the NPM proposed that a call system be also introduced in this ward. Moreover, the management should consider the possibility of ensuring a constant presence of one employee on the ward at night time or, at least, a video surveillance of shared premises. In its response report, the nursing home explained that the SW residents did not have such pagers because most of them did not understand its purpose. The home takes the opinion that it would also makes no sense to introduce video surveillance of shared premises in this ward because at night, the residents do not stay in these premises, and if they need assistance they need it inside the room. The NPM may agree with this explanation, but the absence of a call system nevertheless still remains a matter of grave concern. Furthermore, the home explained that following the NPM’s visit, the night shift moved from the room for nurses on the first floor to the room for nurses on SW, thereby ensuring a constant 24-hour presence of an employee on the SW. During the NPM’ visits, the rooms of the wards were clean, tidy and properly ventilated, and no unpleasant odours could be detected anywhere. Many wards are painted in warm earth colours and the walls are decorated with art items created by the residents, which increases the feeling of homeliness. The NPM noticed the lack of such decor in the HLSW of Škofja Loka Centre where they explained that they had two female residents who removed and tried to swallow everything which was not properly fixed. Therefore, they had to temporarily remove all items already set and seek other solutions. Often, the residential rooms look friendly and are furnished with personal items. The corridors of the units visited in Jesenice RH appeared, although repainted in warm light colours, slightly cold and impersonal. Therefore, the NPM proposed that for decorating shared premises, the nursing home use even more art items made by the residents and encourage them to furnish their rooms with personal items, in order to further enhance the homely atmosphere. Thus, the residents also co-create the space in which they live. In order to assist the residents in temporal and spatial orientation, the nursing homes have a large display of the current season and date located in shared premises. On the outside of their room doors or next to them there are often pictures of various flowers, animals or items the residents are familiar with, which makes it easier for them to identify their respective rooms. Unfortunately, some wards accommodating persons with dementia do not allow direct access to the fenced outdoor areas. This, for example, is true of the secure wards of Bor HE, the HLSW in Ptuj RH, one of the HLSWs in Hmelina Home and two units for persons with dementia in Jesenice RH (which, however, have an outdoor terrace). Even where rooms on the floors have balconies, the SW residents cannot use them without supervision for safety reasons. In these cases, the residents who, for safety reasons, are not allowed to leave the wards without an escort depend on employees or relatives in order to stay outdoors in the fresh air. The nursing homes have assured the NPM that they are doing their best in order to enable their residents to, within their individual capabilities and interests, stay outdoors in the fresh air and do this in various manners, i.e. through inclusion in work therapy which takes place outdoors (for example, in the home’s park) or through individual or group walks to the home’s park or into the near surroundings. The nursing homes with dementia wards which have direct access to fenced green areas try to arrange these in an appropriate manner: by planting trees and building herbal gardens, and by providing short circular trails and places for sitting around that can be shaded. Besides, nursing homes with SWs encourage the residents of these wards to socialize with other residents of nursing homes. They can take part in activities taking place outside the SWs, for example, in work therapy rooms. Moreover, they are encouraged to attend various events, such as picnics or shows, organised by nursing homes. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE NPM IN 2013 NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM UNDER THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE UN CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT 25