Serbia's Private Nursing Homes Raise Prices Up to 30%

Some private nursing homes in Serbia raised their accommodation prices by 20 percent starting September 1, and some by as much as 30 percent, according to the owner of one such home who spoke to Nova.rs. Homes that have been on the market longer have not changed their prices so far.

The increase comes seven months after state run nursing homes switched to new price lists of their own. Since February 1, accommodation in those homes has cost 30 percent more, the second increase in the past two years.

One nursing home in Belgrade raised its price by 15,000 dinars starting September 1. The family of one resident had been paying 800 euros a month; with medication and other supplies included, the monthly cost now tops 100,000 dinars. Jasmina Stojic’s aunt, from Belgrade, has lived in that home for five years.

“I’m aware of the standard of living in Serbia, but a place in a nursing home should never be a luxury. I didn’t put my aunt in a home because I wanted to, but because I had to. She’s happy there, she’s doing well, but financially it’s going to be very hard, considering we’ve been paying 800 euros a month for the home until now. If we add this 15,000 dinars on top of that, plus the monthly cost of medication and other supplies she needs, we’re crossing the 100,000 dinar mark,” Jasmina Stojic told Nova.rs.

The Association of Private Social Welfare Institutions says the increase was not agreed among the owners, and that each home adjusted its price individually, pointing to rising costs of energy, electricity, food and labor.

“No home has raised its price by 200 to 300 euros. Simply put, in line with today’s needs and rising prices, owners have gradually raised their rates to cover the basic costs of housing residents. Generally, accommodation costs range from 600 to 1,000 euros, but of course you can also find homes that charge 450 euros. Those are mostly homes with more vacant beds, so they’ve run a discount, or they’ve only just opened. There are such cases, really. Still, more homes have a starting price of at least 600 euros,” the Association of Private Social Welfare Institutions told Nova.rs.

According to the Association, 260 private nursing homes currently operate in Serbia, with a combined capacity of around 10,000 beds. Two thirds of that capacity is in Belgrade, where occupancy stands at around 80 percent. More upscale accommodation can cost up to 1,500 euros a month, with the final price depending on the city, the type of room, the resident’s mobility, their support level (from the first to the fourth degree), and any medical care they need.

Vlajko Zindovic, owner of a nursing home in Mirijevo, says not all owners raised their prices equally, and that he is troubled by the fact that some raise their rates the moment the state increases financial assistance for the elderly.

“We’re not all the same, and I’d like you to write that down so that every family thinking about placing a relative in a home remembers it. So as soon as the state raises pensions or gives elderly citizens some kind of financial assistance, certain nursing home owners immediately raise their prices, without any shame,” Vlajko Zindovic told Nova.rs.

Zindovic estimates that a decent double room can still be found for around 700 euros a month, and he advises families to check a home’s license and any complaints about its operation before deciding, not just its price.

Unlike the private sector, where each owner changed prices on their own, state run homes operate under a single price list that has been in effect since February 1. According to figures reported by N1, monthly accommodation in state homes ranges from 26,978 to 78,509 dinars, depending on the city and the resident’s support level. That was the second price increase at state homes in the past two years, after the price list had gone unchanged since 2015.