2014-2015 REPORT ON NATIONAL PREVENTION OF TORTURE Most important systemic problems identified SOCIAL CARE INSTITUTIONS Problems indentified in Social Care Institutions In 2014, the Seimas Ombudsmen assessed the human rights situation in ten institutions of social care (for disabled adults and the elderly). The following are the main problems and human rights violations identified: 1. Regarding ensuring safety of residents – In the majority of institutions inspected (in seven out of ten), defects of the emergency alert system were identified: in some institutions such system was not installed, while in others it did not function or was inefficient and did not perform its direct function of ensuring residents’ safety. Another important aspect of residents’ safety is the preparedness of residents and the staff of the institution for emergencies, for instance, a fire. In one of the institutions visited, a fire safety inspection had not been carried out, in another one, the staff and residents admitted that in case of fire they would not know what particular actions should be taken to ensure safe evacuation, in yet another one, stairs leading to the ground floor were especially steep, therefore, it was likely that in case of fire residents would not be able to evacuate in a timely and safe manner. were inaccessible to the disabled; there were no appropriate conditions for moving independently, taking into account the age and the condition of health; it had not been ensured that all residents in their residential room have a possibility to observe the environment through the window, taking into consideration the hight of windows and the location of the bed. Cases have also been established where the required minimum living space per person (5 m2) was not ensured or residents were not sufficiently supplied with means of hygiene. 3. Regarding ensuring residents’ privacy – In certain care institutions, residents did not have a possibility to lock their residential room from inside, it also happened that at night (and sometimes during the day) the staff locked residential rooms without the residents’ consent; the staff did not knock on 2. Regarding the living environment and conditions for the disabled – Not in all care institutions the environment of residential rooms was similar to that of home; the main entrance and other premises, including hygiene premises, 10