Terminal Illness & End-of-Life Planning in Slovakia: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Coordinate Palliative Care, Home Nursing, and Health Insurance Coverage

   • Specialist palliative and hospice referrals: Ask your family member's attending specialist or general practitioner (všeobecný lekár) for a referral to an inpatient hospice (hospic), palliative medicine department (oddelenie paliatívnej medicíny), or mobile hospice service (mobilný hospic) [1]. Under Slovak healthcare legislation overseen by the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic (Ministerstvo zdravotníctva Slovenskej republiky), medical palliative care and home nursing Care Agencies (Agentúra domácej ošetrovateľskej starostlivosti - ADOS) are covered through mandatory public health insurance (Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa, Dôvera, or Union) when prescribed by a physician [1].
   • Long-term social-health care coordination: If the ill person requires integrated nursing and personal assistance, apply simultaneously to the municipality (obec or mestská časť) or self-governing region (vyšší územný celok - VÚC) for a social care assessment (posúdenie odkázanosti na sociálnu službu) to access municipal home care services (opatrovateľská služba) or specialised residential facilities [2] [3].
   • Medical equipment and symptom management: The attending physician or palliative specialist can prescribe assistive medical devices (zdravotnícke pomôcky), such as adjustable hospital beds, oxygen concentrators, and pressure-relief mattresses, which are reimbursed in whole or in part by the patient's public health insurance fund [1].
2. 2

   Record Advance Healthcare Preferences and Medical Information Authorisations

   • Informed consent and refusal of treatment (Informovaný súhlas): Under Slovak Act No. 576/2004 Coll. on Healthcare, a patient with full legal capacity has the right to accept or refuse specific medical procedures in writing through an informed consent or written refusal document (revers), which must be recorded in the patient's medical documentation and electronic health record (eZdravie) [1].
   • Authorising family access to medical records: Ensure your family member signs a written authorisation at the hospital and with their general practitioner designating specific family members who may receive confidential health status updates, inspect medical records, and consult with the clinical team if the patient becomes unable to communicate [1].
   • Supportive decision-making and representation: While Slovak law does not establish a standalone statutory living will registry comparable to some other jurisdictions, recording clear written care preferences with the treating palliative team and executing a general civil power of attorney ensures the care team and family have documented guidance on symptom control, hospitalisation, and place-of-care preferences [1] [5].
3. 3

   Execute Financial and Legal Powers of Attorney and Bank Mandates

   • General and special powers of attorney (Plnomocenstvo): While your family member retains full mental and legal decision-making capacity (spôsobilosť na právne úkony), arrange for them to sign a written power of attorney under the Slovak Civil Code authorising a trusted representative to act in administrative, tax, postal, and property matters [4] [5]. For real estate transactions, corporate actions, or broad legal certainty, have the signature officially verified (osvedčenie podpisu) or drafted as a notarial deed (notárska zápisnica) by a notary registered with the Notarial Chamber of the Slovak Republic (Notárska komora Slovenskej republiky) [5].
   • Mobile notary visits: If your family member cannot travel due to illness, a Slovak notary can conduct an official verification visit at the hospital, care facility, or private home to verify capacity and authenticate signatures on the spot [5].
   • Bank account disposal mandates (Dispozičné právo): Slovak commercial banks frequently require their own internal account mandate forms rather than a general power of attorney. Contact each bank while your family member can still sign in branch, via mobile banking, or before a notary, and verify whether you should establish joint account access or a dedicated mandate that remains operational during serious illness [4] [5].
4. 4

   Activate Disability Pensions, Care Allowances, and Caregiver Leave

   • Disability pension (Invalidný dôchodok) and sickness benefits: If your family member's illness reduces their capacity to perform gainful activity by more than 40 percent compared with a healthy person, file an application for a disability pension with the Social Insurance Agency (Sociálna poisťovňa), either at the local branch or electronically through the Central Public Administration Portal (Ústredný portál verejnej správy) [3] [4].
   • Long-term nursing allowance (Dlhodobé ošetrovné): Working family members who care for a relative with a serious palliative or severe health condition following hospitalisation (or in terminal palliative care) can claim long-term nursing benefit (dlhodobé ošetrovné) from the Social Insurance Agency for up to 90 calendar days, during which participating family caregivers can rotate care [3] [4].
   • Severe disability compensation and care allowance (Peňažný príspevok na opatrovanie): Through the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic (Ministerstvo práce, sociálnych vecí a rodiny Slovenskej republiky) and the local Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family (Úrad práce, sociálnych vecí a rodiny - ÚPSVaR), apply for a severe disability assessment (ťažké zdravotné postihnutie - ŤZP) and the monthly financial allowance for personal caring (peňažný príspevok na opatrovanie) when your family member requires high-level daily assistance (degree IV or V dependence) [2].
5. 5

   Review the Will, Civil Status Records, and Cross-Border Estate Documents

   • Executing and registering a valid will (Závet): To ensure your family member's property wishes are legally robust and cannot be misplaced, consider having a will drawn up as a notarial deed by a member of the Notarial Chamber of the Slovak Republic, which is then mandatory-registered in the Notarial Central Register of Wills (Notársky centrálny register závetov) [5]. Under the Slovak Civil Code, remember that descendants are statutory forced heirs (neopomenuteľní dedičia) entitled to a protected minimum share unless validly disinherited on strict statutory grounds [5].
   • Organising civil and property records: Gather your family member's birth certificate (rodný list), marriage certificate (sobášny list), title deeds or cadastre references (list vlastníctva), insurance policies, and pension statements, and request any missing civil registry duplicates online via the Central Public Administration Portal or through the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic (Ministerstvo vnútra Slovenskej republiky) [4] [6].
   • Cross-border assets and EU succession choice of law: If your family member holds foreign nationality or owns property in another country, consult a Slovak notary regarding EU Succession Regulation (EU) No 650/2012, including whether to include an explicit choice-of-law clause (professio iuris) in the will and whether foreign powers of attorney require an Apostille [5].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic - Healthcare and Patient Rights — Ministerstvo zdravotníctva Slovenskej republiky
2. [2]
   Financial Allowance for Care (Peňažný príspevok na opatrovanie) - Severe Disability Support — Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic
3. [3]
   Social Insurance Agency - Pension and Caregiver Benefit Guidance — Sociálna poisťovňa
4. [4]
   Central Public Administration Portal - Electronic Pension and Social Services — Slovensko.sk (NASES)
5. [5]
   Notarial Chamber of the Slovak Republic - Notarial Deeds, Wills, and Verification — Notárska komora Slovenskej republiky
6. [6]
   Civil Registry Services and Official Certificate Requests — Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic