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06-02-2023

Increasing the scope of home nursing care – residents can now receive their services in the evenings and on weekends

Iliustracija

From now on home nursing care services will be provided daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Minister of Health issued an order, stating that healthcare services at patients’ homes must also be ensured in the evenings, on weekends and on public holidays. In addition to that, another specialist - an occupational therapist - will soon be added to the teams visiting the patients. The aim of these changes is to ensure the most comprehensive care possible, whenever the patients need it most.

According to the Minister of Health Arūnas Dulkys, development of home nursing care is a global tendency, which meets the needs of patients and the health system best.

‘Patients feel most comfortable in their natural environment, where they get comprehensive care thus reducing the work load of physicians and healthcare facilities. Today, there are already 43 thousand patients in Lithuania, enjoying the benefits of home nursing care. Considering demographic trends, these numbers will only grow higher, so we keep constantly improving and expanding the scope of the home nursing care services available.’ says the Minister.

These services were only available during the day, but patients and home nursing care teams claim that this wasn’t enough.

‘Getting these services only during the day is not enough. The illness doesn't just disappear at 5 p.m. For example, in case of prescribed antibiotic therapy, we can't stop it on Friday and then continue on Monday, or, in case of daily wound treatment, we can't postpone our patients to office hours. This has led to a decision to extend the working hours and offer these services in the evenings, on weekends and on public holidays, thus ensuring the continuity of the treatment.’ says Marius Čiurlionis, Advisor of the Department of Nursing and Long-Term Care at the Ministry of Health, emphasizing that the majority of Western European countries, particularly Scandinavia, have chosen the model of providing services at home already long ago.

Marija Preibytė, physical therapist and coordinator of the home nursing care team at Telšiai district primary health care centre, says that although the team has just celebrated its second birthday, she is very glad to feel really needed every day and to take such a huge role in her patient’s lives.

‘We were among the first to start offering home nursing care services in Telšiai district, enabling the residents in our district to benefit from the services we can offer and significantly improving the health of our patients. Upon hearing the news of being able to receive their services not only during the business hours, but every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., the majority of our patients were really glad.’ says the team coordinator.

According to her, some patients – particularly the elderly – feel uneasy about the late hours, being afraid or simply unable to open the door in the evening, when social workers or their relatives leave them alone.

‘That is a human factor, but there’s really nothing to worry about – the purpose of our work is to benefit our patients. Our team believes that changes in home nursing care services, mutual assistance, help and support, also an opportunity to discuss any difficulties together, will not only enable us to offer high-quality healthcare services, but also enable our patients to feel safe and calm about the improvement of their health.’ says Preibytė.

Another important change, which will facilitate the care for patients at home, their life quality, and the service portfolio, is that the team, offering home nursing care services, consisting of a nurse, an assistant nurse and a physical therapist, will now also have an occupational therapist.

‘This is especially important for patients, recovering after somatic and neurological disorders and injuries, which disrupt their daily life functions. Occupational therapists, working with patients and their relatives, conduct procedures that help the patients to recover after a trauma or a disease and return to a normal life, regaining their working skills and feeling more independent in their daily lives.’ emphasized Čiurlionis.

As of this year, facilities, offering home nursing care services will be able to employ occupational therapists at their own choice, while as of 1 January 2024 these specialists will complement all home nursing care teams.

The new order also increased the number of reimbursable services as well. Before, all patients could receive no more than 104 services, reimbursed from the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund (CHIF). As of 1 January this year, a family doctor or a nurse can assess their patient’s condition and nursing needs, classified as small, average or high. This need defines the number of services, reimbursed from CHIF as well, namely, 52, 104 or 260 services.

The Ministry is kindly reminding that prescriptions for outpatient care services can be issued by a patient’s family doctor, while home nursing care services are available for those, who find it difficult to perform their daily functions due to a changed health condition or a functional impairment, as well as people, who need nursing services after a day surgery.

More information on home nursing care is available at www.manoslauga.lt.

The order of the Minister of Health is available HERE.

Communication Department of the Ministry of Health

(Piktochart photo)

The NHIF invites you:

Your questions are welcome by email[email protected]or phone: local (8 5) 232 2222, international +370 5 232 2222

Last updated: 15-02-2023

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