Volunteers have been present in palliative care since its inception. With the development of palliative care systems, their role and position are changing. Given growing long-term care needs and limited resources in health and social care, volunteers are becoming an important resource in meeting these needs. In Croatia, palliative care has been developing as an integrated care model since 2014. To assess the position and the role of volunteers, we analyzed legislative documents from healthcare and social care and conducted a focus group with volunteers in palliative care. We found that volunteers provide support from the social aspect of care, for the patient and the family. The formal palliative care system involves them as partners in the provision of care, even though this cooperation is informal. The main determinants of their activities are an individualized approach, flexibility, a community presence, and project funding. In conclusion, these determinants allow them to react quickly to identified needs, but with them come some uncertainties of their sustainability. Their activities could indicate what needs to be integrated between health and social care and in what areas. Volunteers both fill in gaps in the system and are ahead of the system, and by doing this they develop new processes around identified unmet needs.

Croatia is among the last countries in Europe to develop organized palliative care at the national level. Real changes in this area started after the parliamentary elections in 2011 and culminated in the 2013 adoption of the Strategic Plan for Palliative Care Development 2014-2016. The National Board for Palliative Care (NBPC), appointed by the Ministry of Health, was in charge of creating a scalable palliative care model and national guidelines. The Board drew on experiences from both neighbouring countries with similar societies and/or health care models (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland) and an international leader in palliative care (United Kingdom). It recognised that provision of palliative care in Croatia, thus far based on volunteering and isolated enthusiastic activities, needed to be improved through professionalization, regulation, and organized development. A variety of policy measures was used to implement these changes, including the introduction of professional guidelines and new payment models. The development of new palliative care structures and services significantly increased the number of patients who could access palliative care, from around 1-2% of patients needing such care in 2011 to 20-35% in 2014. It also ensured the provision of more appropriate services at each point of the palliative care pathway. The Strategy was extended for the 2017-2020 period.

Down syndrome (DS), the most common human aneuploidy, is associated with oxidative stress, which contributes to morphological abnormalities, immune dysfunction, cognitive impairment and accelerated ageing. This article aims to provide an overview of the studies on oxidative stress in DS, in particular the investigation of endogenous and exogenous antioxidants, with a focus on endogenous systems. A literature search in MEDLINE and Scopus based on the PRISMA 2020 criteria revealed 41 relevant studies that mainly analysed blood samples (plasma or serum) and occasionally saliva or urine. The findings suggest that oxidative stress in DS is multifactorial and results from an imbalance of superoxide dismutase activity, overexpression of genes on chromosome 21, mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation. Despite extensive studies over the decades, new sources and mechanisms for oxidative stress in DS continue to emerge, further highlighting the complexity of DS. The recognition that oxidative stress is a hallmark of DS emphasises the need to develop more sensitive and specific methods to detect it and to investigate the associated metabolic pathways in DS in more detail. The expansion of in vivo studies could facilitate the development of targeted interventions aimed at mitigating oxidative damage and ultimately improving outcomes for individuals with DS.

By 2045, approximately 783.2 million people are projected to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In addition, obesity is expected to affect up to 22% of the world’s population or one in four people. The diabesity epidemic, a worrying trend in which T2DM and obesity co-occur, is becoming increasingly evident and could be the most significant epidemic of non-communicable chronic diseases in human history. The salutogenic pattern of health, which emphasises well-being and resistance resources, could be a promising solution to address this alarming worldwide problem. The salutogenic pattern of health has numerous positive effects on the health of persons with T2DM. These include reducing the risk of it, lowering some biomarkers and laboratory parameters related to its control, and promoting a better lifestyle, ultimately improving the overall quality of life. The salutogenic pattern of health offers an effective and evidence-based approach to address the growing global problem of chronic non-communicable diseases such as T2DM. Integrating this theory into standard modern medical practice has the potential to significantly improve health outcomes and overall patient well-being, making it an important direction for modern medicine. Accordingly, the aim is to explore and analyse the salutogenic pattern of health associated with T2DM in order to prevent it, but also the better management of it.

The aim of this observational study was to investigate the level and association of physical activity and selected chronic diseases in functionally independent LTC residents after prolonged physical and social isolation during COVID-19 in Croatia. Adhering to the inclusion criteria, 180 functionally independent residents were included in the study. Assessment of physical activity was carried out by 7-day motor monitoring. Prolonged physical and social isolation negatively affected the achieved level of physical activity of LTC residents ($\overline{\mathrm{x}}$ = 5058.74). Major depressive disorder resulted in significantly lower residents’ physical activity scores, demonstrating a shrinking effect ranging from 0.42 to 0.45. A significant negative impact on the residents’ physical activity was also found in the presence of osteoarthritis and iron deficiency anemia, where a downward effect was present in the range from 0.66–0.72 and 0.64 to 0.66. The presence of comorbidities has a significant negative impact on the residents’ physical activity, where a downward effect is present in the range from 0.91–0.92.

Background and Objectives: The use of wearable fitness technology is a trend nowadays and has significant potential in promoting an active lifestyle among long-term care (LTC) residents. The objectives of this observational study were to examine the use of fitness trackers and smartwatches for monitoring physical activity and to analyze the relationship between the use of these technological solutions and the sociodemographic characteristics of LTC residents during the COVID-19 lockdown. Materials and Methods: Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 198 LTC residents stationed in eleven organizational units that provide long-term accommodation services for older adults in the city of Zagreb in Croatia. LTC residents aged 65 and older who receive the 1st level of accommodation services in the social care system according to their functional ability and health status were included in this study. Results: During the COVID-19 lockdown, 19.19% of LTC residents used wearable activity trackers. Gender (p = 0.0411) and education level (p = 0.0485) were recognized as significant sociodemographic predictors regarding the use of fitness trackers and smartwatches for monitoring physical activity. An odds ratio for gender of 0.454 (95% CI: 0.213–0.969) indicates that women have a 54.6% lower chance of using fitness trackers and smartwatches then men. The odds ratio for the education effects of 0.050 (95% CI: 0.003–0.980) demonstrates that there is a 95% lower chance of using fitness trackers and smartwatches for individuals with only elementary education as opposed to university graduates. Conclusions: The sociodemographic differences of LTC residents regarding the use of fitness trackers and smartwatches require further research, but they are also an incentive for the implementation of these technological solutions to protect the health of older adults.