to the recommendations explicitly stated below, the NPM also recommended that the staff regularly ventilate rooms to eliminate unpleasant smells and improve the living environment for everybody in the department. It was also recommended that the institution regularly monitor the satisfaction of employees, residents, and their family members. In light of the expert’s findings, the NPM recommended that more frequent psychiatric exams of residents be made (at least once a month), as exams made four times a year do not enable a quick enough termination of residence in the secure department should the medical condition of the resident change. The NPM also recommended that the strip between the terrace and green areas be removed or levelled, as there is a risk of falling when stepping on the gravel, and that leaking of water from the overhead roof to this path be prevented. In light of the expert’s opinion, the NPM recommended that the institution consider setting up a secure department in the unit in Ljutomer, and that the continuous availability of medical documents in the residential unit is ensured. Furthermore, a record of complaints should be set up and a visible and readable summary of the house rules should be available in a clearly visible location in all departments. Residential Unit of Ljutomer Retirement Home Room for food preparation in the unit On 18 July 2017, we made a review visit to Lipa Retirement Home in Štore. At this visit, it was established that of the 19 recommendations, which the NPM made at its 2015 visit, Lipa Retirement Home has implemented 14 recommendations and accepted another 4 recommendations, which it has not yet (fully) implemented. This indicates that the institution took the recommendations seriously and made an effort to implement or at least start to implement most of them. The institution rejected one of the recommendations; however it was established that they had valid reservations. We nevertheless believe that it would be sensible for the institution to study how to ensure normal passage to people who are not detained in the department (employees, visitors), while also completely preventing the possibility of residents leaving one of the secure departments without supervision. It was recommended that Lipa Retirement Home pay attention to the new recommendations made by the NPM and try to implement them, thus additionally improving the situation in the retirement home. The NPM made three new recommendations, which, as is evident from their response to the preliminary report, the institution has already accepted and implemented. The NPM recommended that the staff try to prevent unpleasant smells travelling from individual rooms to the common areas, and ventilate rooms after nursing care, thus striving for appropriate living conditions. We also recommended that Lipa Retirement Home quickly see to repairing their small inventory and that they empty the complaint box more frequently, i.e. at least fortnightly. Common area in Lipa Retirement Home 40 Nicely furnished room 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