The Urban Accessibility of New Nursing Homes in Belgrade, Serbia

Abstract

The share of elderly population has increased rapidly in Serbia in few last decades. In line with these trends, nursing home care has become important for both Serbian seniors and their families. This situation has caused the accelerated establishment of new nursing homes across country. The major concentration of them is in Serbian capital, Belgrade. The most of the new nursing homes are privately established and run, which has opened many debates about an adequate state system to control them. The security and hygienic concerns of nursing homes are mainly in the spotlight of media, but there is almost no debate about the location of these institutions and their accessibility in urban areas, that is a critical element for the decent life of their elderly residents. It encompasses several kinds of accessibility – the accessibility of to public transport, public services, open public spaces, and urban centres. In such way, this, urban accessibility is permeated with several universal human rights. Considering the previous facts, this paper is dedicated to exploring the urban accessibility of new private nursing homes. Belgrade urban area is a research polygon. The research is done by the comparing the location of the homes to the main transport corridors and centres, proposed by the operative general urban plan of the city. This approach enables to suggest the new actions how to improve the current urban planning, as well related legislation for the better life and socialisation of elderly citizens.