Nursing home director named Slovenian Woman of the Year
Ljubljana, 25 February - Ana Petrič, director of the Notranje Gorice nursing home, has been named the Slovenian Woman of the Year 2023 by the women's magazine Jana and its readers. Petrič is fighting for the rights of the elderly and better working conditions for care home employees and has been "changing social assistance for nineteen years," the magazine said.
Ljubljana
Notranje Gorice elderly care home director Ana Petrič named Slovenian Woman of 2023.
Photo: Bor Slana/STA
Petrič is leading the project A Little Attention for a Lot of Joy, which has been encouraging Slovenians of all generations to write letters and greeting cards to the elderly in nursing homes for the past eight years. She and the care home also organise a clothing drive and a project providing accommodation in exchange for volunteer work.
She noted that people are not sufficiently aware of the needs of the elderly, which can result in a slow response in a time of need.
"Not only do we have a staffing problem, we're turning a blind eye to sickness and dying, which is why the situation of the elderly is becoming a social issue," said Petrič.
Petrič was awarded the title at a ceremony on Saturday evening. According to the organisers, this year's vote was exceptional, as they received a record number of votes from readers.