Latvia - Long-term social care services

This chapter presents information about groups of persons who are eligible for long-term social care services (Ilgstošās sociālās aprūpes pakalpojumi) in Latvia.

In what situation can I claim?

If you or a family member has physical difficulties caring for yourselves, you can apply for social care services. Social care must be claimed from the municipal social services office in the municipality where the person is registered as residing.

Social care services meet the essential needs of persons who have difficulties caring for themselves due to their age or physical or mental disability.

Depending on the type of disorder, its level of severity and the person's age, social care can be provided at home, in a day centre or in a long-term social care institution (children's home, nursing house, etc.).

Social care services, financed from State budget or municipal budget are provided to Latvian citizens, non-citizens, nationals from third countries who have been granted a permanent residence permit, to nationals of EU Member States, European Economic Area, the UK and Confederation of Switzerland, who have acquired a permanent right of residence and their family members according to an assessment of the individuals’ need for care.

Other persons who have the right to enter and reside in the Republic of Latvia must require social care from the relevant service provider and pay the service costs themselves.

What conditions do I need to meet?

Decisions on granting social care services are made by municipal social services offices, based on evaluation of the person's level of functional disorders, resources and established level of care.

Municipalities provide and partially or fully fund social care for the following persons:

social care at home or in institutions for senior citizens;
social care at home or in institutions for disabled persons, if the disability is not of a mental nature;
social care at home for children and adults with mental disabilities;
social care in institutions for orphans and children without parental care aged from 2 to 18 years.

The state budget partially or fully funds social care in institutions for the following persons:

children and adults with severe mental disabilities;
orphans and children without parental care aged from birth to 2 years;
children with mental and physical disabilities aged from birth to 4 years;
adult blind persons.

Social care services must be provided in the person's place of residence or as near as possible to it (day centres). If the services provided in place of residence are not sufficient, social care is provided in an institution.

Out of family care for orphans or children without parental care must be provided in a family environment, i.e. in a foster family or by a guardian. If this is not possible, the child is placed in a long-term social care institution (a state social care centre or municipal orphanage).

What am I entitled to and how can I claim?

Social care services can be provided in different ways.

At home: the social carer or family carer takes care of the person's needs, helps them perform routine tasks and delivers groceries or meals. If care is provided by family members, the municipality provides them with training, advice and, if necessary, material assistance.
In day centres: social workers and specialists provide social care for children, adults with mental or physical disabilities, senior citizens, and persons recovering from long-term or severe illnesses. The municipality determines the number of hours spent in the day centre by each recipient, financed from the municipal budget.
In long-term social care institutions: specialists, social workers and medical personnel provide housing and a full spectrum of services for senior citizens, persons with mental disorders, blind persons as well as orphans and children without parental care.

You can apply for social care services at your municipal social service office, after submitting the required documents:

an application from the person in free form;
a declaration of means of subsistence, if the requested social service is fully or partially funded from the municipal budget;
a general practitioner's assessment of the level of severity of the person's functional disorder and the absence of any medical contraindications, if the person wishes to receive care at home, in a day centre or in a long-term social assistance institution;
a psychiatrist's assessment of the absence of any special contraindications and the most suitable forms of social services, if the person requesting the service has a mental disability;
a copy of a document proving disability, if the person requesting the service is disabled.

Jargon busters

Social care service - a set of measures aimed at the satisfaction of the basic needs of those persons who have objective difficulties taking care of themselves due to old age or functional disorders; it includes services at the place of residence of the person as well as in long-term social care institutions.
Day care centre - an institution which during the day provides social care and social rehabilitation services, development of social skills, education and opportunities for spending free time to persons with mental impairments, disabled persons, children from needy families and families with circumstances unfavourable to the development of the child, as well as persons who have reached the age that entitles one to receive the State old-age pension.
A long-term social care institution - a social institution which provides a person who cannot take care of himself or herself due to old age or state of health, as well as orphans and children left without parental care with housing, full care and rehabilitation.
Functional disorder - a disorder of a physical or mental nature caused by a disease, trauma or congenital defect which restricts the ability of a person to work, take care of himself or herself and makes it difficult for the person to integrate into society.

Know your rights

See the links below for information on your rights to long-term social care. These are not European Commission websites and do not reflect the views of the European Commission.

Latvian laws and regulations on receiving social assistance: