Ombudswoman warns some Latvian care homes fail to feed, wash or properly care for residents

Speaking on TV24's programme 'Ziņu TOP', Ombudswoman Karina Palkova described conditions she has observed over the past year while visiting social and health care institutions in Latvia's regions. While some municipalities — including Ventspils, Liepāja and Jūrmala — run facilities where management provides proper care for both residents and staff, she has also encountered starkly different situations elsewhere.

Palkova said that in some centres, even in the 21st century, residents are not taken outdoors for fresh air, are not properly washed, and face problems with feeding. She stressed this is not a funding issue but a matter of whether facility directors understand their responsibilities. Inadequate care, she noted, can worsen a person's health to the point of requiring hospital treatment, after which the person often returns to the same facility where the underlying problems remain unresolved.

She recalled a case involving a young person with mental and physical disabilities who was found in a severe state at a Riga care centre, having been nearly starved. Initial official inspections found no wrongdoing. A few months later, at a different centre, Palkova's team encountered a client in a similarly dire situation who died shortly afterward; that case is now with the prosecutor's office. Palkova argues that inspections too often focus narrowly on paperwork and regulatory compliance rather than assessing residents' actual rights and living conditions, and she has called on the Ministry of Welfare and the Health Inspectorate to focus more on residents' genuine wellbeing.

Concerns at the 'Avots' children's home

Palkova voiced similar concerns about 'Avots', a care centre for children and youth run by the Augšdaugava municipality. Although its infrastructure is reportedly in good condition, youths receive only 198 euros a year for clothing and footwear — the lowest amount the Ombudsman's Office has ever recorded in such inspections. Children eat three to four times a day, with the last meal at 6 p.m., and during Palkova's visit the fridge was found empty. An August inspection also found the nurse position had been eliminated despite most children needing medication, alongside safety risks including substance abuse requiring intensive care, suicidal behaviour, and violent incidents injuring staff. Palkova has reported these findings to the municipality, the Ministry of Welfare and the Centre for Children's Rights Protection, warning of possible court action if the violations are not addressed.