REBECA Medico-Social Center in Bălți: A Model of Community Care
The REBECA Medico-Social Center in Bălți was established on September 18, 2013, by Homecare Association, as part of a project in partnership with Caritas Czech Republic in Moldova and the Bălți Municipality, with financial support from the Czech Development Agency. The REBECA Center was one of the first among a network of 12 medico-social centers created by Homecare.
The center provides home care services for people with disabilities and the elderly, available either at its headquarters on Decebal Street or directly at beneficiaries’ homes, depending on their needs. Eligible beneficiaries are registered with the social assistance department, and medical and rehabilitation services are provided according to the recommendations of their family doctor.
The center addresses a wide range of needs, including those of people with chronic or incurable diseases, individuals with disabilities of all categories, pensioners, and people who are bedridden and in need of care. Care services are provided to those affected by strokes or conditions such as osteoporosis and osteochondrosis, based on the strict recommendations of the family doctor. The center is equipped to offer essential services that improve the quality of life for beneficiaries.
Additionally, the REBECA Center provides a variety of social services, such as hygiene facilities for people with disabilities and vulnerable elderly individuals. Beneficiaries can use these facilities to take showers and wash their clothes, maintaining personal hygiene and comfort. The center also offers support with meals, food preparation at home, grocery shopping, budget management, assistance with using the toilet, communication, psychological support, reading, accompanying patients to institutions and events, and providing medical equipment. Access to these services requires a social assessment by the center’s social worker and a recommendation from the family doctor.
In 2023, the REBECA Medico-Social Center provided care to 701 beneficiaries. The program operates in two segments: services at the center are offered in the morning, and home visits take place in the afternoon. The care team, consisting of a nurse and a social worker, can each perform up to three home visits per day, ensuring necessary care based on the family doctor’s prescriptions. The center also has mobile recovery technology, delivering approximately 75% of the services available at the center directly to patients’ homes. A noteworthy aspect of the center’s organization is that each nurse manages a group of up to eight patients for three months, after which the groups are restructured, and treatment is adjusted according to medical needs.
Elena Adașan, the center’s director, emphasizes the importance of home care services, including the administration of physiotherapeutic treatments. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the center’s team responded to calls for help without recording any cases of infection among the staff, thanks to proper equipment and exceptional professionalism.
Telemedicine, a service that gained popularity during the pandemic, is provided by the center’s staff at beneficiaries’ homes, allowing patients to be consulted by highly qualified specialists through remote calls, with nurses present to oversee the treatment and prescriptions.
The center collaborates with 35 volunteers, students from the Bălți Medical College, whose contribution is invaluable to both the staff and the patients. These volunteers are involved in all the center’s projects, including inter-generational clubs, where the center’s team won first place in a national competition involving all 22 centers managed by the Homecare Association.
Distribuie acest articol:
