Palliative Care and Hospice – Medica Group

Palliative Care, also referred to as Palliative Medicine, is recognized by the World Health Organization and is aimed at the patient with an advanced illness that is not curable but requires care and assistance aimed at controlling symptoms that may impair quality of life in this delicate phase of the care pathway. They are identified in Italy as a ‘Clinical Discipline’ and are recognized as a right to receive them for any citizen who should need them by Law 38/2010.

Medica Group is a licensed and accredited facility with the National Health System. Specifically:

  • By Regional Determination no. G09762 of July 12, 2017, as a residential palliative care center for no. 30 beds + no. 120 home treatments.
  • by Decree of the Acting Commissioner No. V00012 of 01/15/2018, as a Residential Center for Palliative Care – Hospice for 24 beds + 96 home treatments and provides services paid for by the National Health Service in the territory of the Municipality of Rome.

WHAT IS PALLIATIVE CARE?

Palliative Care consists of medical and nursing-care interventions implemented according to defined protocols and procedures. Their purpose is to accompany the patient and his family through the course of the disease by alleviating physical, psychological, and spiritual symptoms in order to ensure the best possible quality of life and an absolutely dignified end of life consistent with the wishes and expectations of the patient and his family. Also in accordance with the practice of good medicine and the protocols of Palliative Medicine, when necessary, opioid and/or sedative drugs will be administered through procedures whose implications will be explained in comprehensible and intelligible language from the time the patient and his or her family are taken in.

Medica Group is aPalliative Care Unit that cares for its patients both at home and at the residential hospice facility.

For patients, these treatments are free of charge as they are among the services paid for by the National Health Service.

Hospice hospitalization tends to be limited to cases where the patient cannot rely on a caregiver at home and environmental and social conditions suitable for the provision of care, that is, the time required for the family to arrange for the caregiver to be at home or to benefit from a period of respite from the continuity of care of their relative at home.

When the patient is taken over by Medica Group, it assumes responsibility for the patient’s clinical status.

THE REQUEST TO TAKE CHARGE

The referring General Practitioner or Primary Care Pediatrician or Hospital will fill out the request for care(Care Request Form) and forward it to the following email: accettazione@medicagroup.info or by fax to 06/232598519.

Medica Group ‘s health secretary will send this request to the relevant ASL for authorization, as required by regional protocol No. 45629/2006. After the 48-hour period has elapsed, the patient will be granted inclusion on the waiting list for the requested service, and if a bed is available, the user will be taken over.

Health Care Facility for Palliative Care/Hospice.
Hospice is located within a major 8,000-square-meter care facility on Via Federico Calabresi in Rome.

Hospice is located on the third and fourth floors of the building and is equipped with:

  • 24 single rooms all with an armchair bed for one guest and private bathroom, air conditioning and television;
  • occupational therapy and multipurpose rooms where patients, family members and caregivers can engage in various stimulating leisure activities that are enjoyable and personalized;
  • medical and nursing practices;
  • common socializing areas on the floors, with a dining room in which guests and family members have the opportunity to share their time.

Treatments are provided by a multidisciplinary team based on the IAP, prepared by all professionals deemed necessary (physicians, nurses, physical therapists, psychologists, social workers, volunteers, social workers and occupational therapist).

Health care palliative home care

Home care services are provided 7 days a week. Treatment schedules are defined in consideration of individual patient needs and internal organization. Treatments are provided by a multidisciplinary team on the basis of the IAP developed at the intake stage.

Assistance includes accesses of the professionals deemed necessary (physicians, nurses, physical therapists, psychologists, social workers).

Nursing support includes one access per day aimed at assessing clinical conditions, administering any therapies, and checking for the onset of any new care or clinical needs. Instead, medical staff visits are provided at intake and then once a week and whenever there are clinical/assistance needs.

A 24-hour medical on-call is also guaranteed.

Continuity of care
The pathway is aimed at ensuring continuity of care for the patient through active collaboration between the hospital and Medica Group. After activation by the hospital facility, a physician will meet with the patient and after assessing the clinical situation will decide with the patient on the most appropriate care pathway (home care or hospice).

Psychological service
Psychological intervention aims to help the patient and his or her family cope with and manage possible distress at different stages of the illness both in hospice and at home. There is also a psychological service for bereavement support, directed to all people who cannot get over the loss of their loved one.

Volunteering
Presidio Health Medica Group values and promotes the presence and activity of volunteers in its facilities.

Spiritual care
At the ground floor is the Chapel where, on holidays and according to a set schedule, Mass is celebrated. The chaplain is available to guests and their families for times of listening and prayer. The request for religious assistance can be communicated directly to the chaplain, or through the nursing coordinator of the ward.
Users may request religious assistance other than Catholic.

Social work
Social work support is available for users afferent to the wards.

Waiting lists

Should requests for assistance exceed Medica Group’s capacity, a waiting list will be activated.

The criteria for determining waiting list position will take into account the following sensitive information:

  • patient in the care of another health service
  • list entry date;
  • Family context analysis;
  • welfare needs;
  • survival expectancy.

Facilities