The Ministry of Health in the Kurzeme region – Liepaja City and South Kurzemes – has launched a pilot project “On the provision of mobile palliative care services”. The pilot project is expected to involve at least 150 patients over a 12-month period who have reached 18 years of age and support will be provided to patients' family members. The pilot project shall be financed by EU funds and co-financing of the national budget.
The healthcare, social services and psychosocial rehabilitation needed under the mobile palliative service will be mainly provided at the patient's residence, providing a higher level of hospital services if necessary. The palliative care team aims to provide a complex, comprehensive care focused on a person with limited survival and his family, and to provide palliative care for as long as it is required based on clinical assessment and family choice.
The specialist team must have at least 7 different specialists – coordinator, doctor, doctor assistant, physiotherapist, psychologist, social worker, chaplain. The team will provide support for the palliative care patient and his family throughout the day, both by going home and by providing remote counselling and by providing services to ambulators. Patients who have received a conciliatory conclusion on the status of a palatial patient may be eligible for the service. Patients will still be signed up to their family doctor during the pilot project.
The pilot project will assess the results achieved, the effectiveness of this type of care and make proposals for the development of palliative care services. The aim is to develop and introduce a palliative-care service in mobile cabins, thereby facilitating the diversion of palliative patients into home care where adequate and high-quality services would be provided. In addition, hospital congestion and calls to the Emergency Medical Service would be reduced.
The pilot project is part of the European Social Fund project 9.2.5.0/17/I/001 “Improving the accessibility of medical treatment and treatment support for people outside Riga”. The duration of the pilot project is one year (with the possibility to extend it further depending on the results of the project). The contract has a total ceiling of €630 000 without VAT. The project is co-financed by the specific objective of the European Social Fund “Growth and Jobs” 9.2.5 “Improving access to treatment and treatment support for persons providing services in priority areas for residents living outside Riga”.
IN SHORT: How to apply for a pilot project for palliative care in a patient's home
As a result of the procurement, the right to implement the home palliative care pilot project was acquired by Magnum Social & Medical Care (“Rure”) from Liepājas, and will therefore be implemented in Liepaja City and Southern Land.
1. Patients who have received a conciliatory conclusion on the status of a palatial patient may be eligible for the service. If the patient does not have a palatial patient status, the patient, family or family doctor of the patient should contact the pilot co-ordinator - tel. 8882; e-mail: kristians@msmc.lv and coordinator will participate in sending the patient to a concierge at Liepaja Regional Hospital.
2.A team of specialists will develop an individual daily medical, physical, mental and social care plan for each patient.
3. Specialists will provide scheduled home visits to patients and implement a care plan. This includes the provision of technical aids. The patient will still be written down by his family doctor.
4. Following the pilot project, the results achieved, the effectiveness of the type of care and proposals for the development of palliative care services will be evaluated.
For more information on the project's home page
