The organisation’s experience shows that the Chełmek municipality has no comprehensive support services for persons with unforeseen serious illnesses or their caregivers. Institutions operating locally are not networking – nobody has a comprehensive view of patient issues.
The project goal was to provide aid to seriously ill persons and their caregivers in new and strenuous circumstances, and to design co-operation forms for institutions and organisations with statutory responsibility to assist patients.
Twenty-eight persons with recent serious illness diagnoses were taught how to manage their condition (better knowledge of the illness and related treatment, better mental condition, better family relations). Eight organisations and institutions began co-operating and signed the “Local Partnership Memorandum to Assist Ill and Disabled Residents of the Chełmek Municipality”.
The situation of 29 project participants was assessed; individual plans were drafted in recognition of identified needs, jointly with patients and their caregivers. Accordingly, home assistance was provided: psychological help (104 hours, 29 persons), social assistance (87 hours, 28 persons), nursing services (85 hours, 6 persons), physiotherapy (978 hours, 28 persons), specialist care services (100 hours, 1 person). Information on patient care was posted on a dedicated website; a seminar on patient rights and the offer of local non-governmental organisations assisting the ill and disabled was held for 60 municipality residents.
Beneficiaries included 29 patients from the Chełmek municipality, 24 patient family members involved in drafting individual activation plans and the provision of selected services, 122 local seminar attendants; other patients will also benefit from the project once organisations and institutions unite to improve patient care.
The Partner supported the project with knowledge and experience (social and psychological counselling), and provided physiotherapy equipment.