At present, the patronage nurse is increasingly becoming that specialist, without whose help it is impossible to provide comprehensive patient care, carry out all necessary procedures and ensure the recovery period.
Patronage can be carried out in various directions:
- Charmed Patronage.
- Patronage for the elderly.
- Patronage of the disabled.
- Cancer Patronage.
Depending on the specialization, a qualified and experienced specialist provides assistance not only to his ward, but also morally supports his relatives, explaining how to behave and care for the sick.
In addition, there are various patronage services at Orthodox churches and charitable organizations that, in addition to the main areas of patronage, provide assistance in the rehabilitation of drug addicts and HIV-infected people.
Duties and tasks of a he alth visitor
Patronage Nurse –a qualified medical professional who comes to the home to provide care for the newborn (in the case of neonatal care) and perform minor medical procedures.
A patronage nurse monitors not only the condition of the ward, but also the conditions of his residence. Her responsibilities also include timely notification of the attending physician about a change in the patient's he alth status, monitoring the availability and intake of all necessary medications, providing psychological assistance to the patient and teaching relatives the necessary procedures for caring for him. It can be sent from a local hospital, from a paid patronage service, from a charitable non-profit organization.
Newborn Nurse
Newborn Patronage is an obligatory program of medical services provided free of charge in the community. A pediatrician who comes to the house examines the newborn, checks the mother's well-being, and gives the necessary recommendations for caring for the baby. In addition, the tasks of the patronage nurse include checking the compliance of the living conditions of the family and the place of stay of the baby with all established norms and requirements.
The first visit to the pediatrician will take place within three days after the discharge of the newborn and mother from the hospital. After that, within a month, the patronage nurse will come to the house several more times.
If parents are unwilling to conduct such observationit is necessary to write a written statement indicating the objective reason for the refusal.
Elderly Patronage
In old age, the care and support of loved ones is especially necessary, but working relatives do not always have the opportunity to provide attention and help to an elderly person. Therefore, for many families, a patronage nurse for an elderly person becomes an indispensable assistant in caring for elderly relatives.
A qualified specialist will become an excellent companion for a person of age who needs psychological support and communication, look after him in the absence of relatives, help him take a walk, monitor the he alth of the ward and carry out the necessary set of medical procedures.
When round-the-clock care is required, a visiting nurse is hired.
Such services are provided, as a rule, for a fee by specialized services. There is also free patronage from charitable organizations, but their goal is to care for and support lonely elderly people who find themselves in a difficult life situation without the help of relatives.
Patronage of the disabled and seriously ill
When a seriously ill person is treated at home, relatives are not always able to carry out the full range of procedures for caring for him, to cope with the psychological stress that arises when understanding the helplessness and serious illness of a loved one.
In such situations, it is better to turn to the services of a he alth visitor. Atcaring for the seriously ill and disabled, the patronage worker performs the following functions:
- Performs patient care, including sanitary care.
- Controls changes in the patient's state of he alth (measurement of body temperature, pressure, etc.).
- Controls availability and intake of all necessary medicines.
- Notifies the attending physician about changes in the patient's he alth status.
- Teaches the relatives of the patient in the correct technique of caring for him.
- Provides psychological support to the patient and his relatives.
Visit to a he alth visitor
It is better to prepare in advance for visiting a patronage nurse. In the case of patronage of newborns, it is necessary to prepare shoe covers, a towel, a passport, a medical pole. It must be remembered that the visit will take place at the most unexpected time, but most often medical workers come in the first half of the day. In addition, it should be borne in mind that the patronage nurse will examine the conditions in which the child is located and may ask questions to make sure that the family is well.
In the case of patronage of the elderly or disabled, when an employee of this service visits the ward every day, it is also necessary to prepare a working space for him. It should be provided with the necessary equipment and medicines. The time at which the patronage nurse will come to the house, the daily routine, the time for walking with an elderly person, and ways to organize his leisure time are discussed in advance.
Orthodoxpatronage services
Orthodox patronage service can be created at a church, monastery, charitable foundation and other non-profit organizations. Services are provided free of charge, activities are carried out at the expense of private donations. In addition to the main directions, the staff of the service helps in the rehabilitation of drug addicts, provides babysitting services for low-income families with many children, and works in hospices and HIV centers.
In the case of incurable diseases, visiting nurses provide palliative care, which is very important to prevent suicide among cancer patients.
Psychological and spiritual support provided by employees of Orthodox patronage services helps to alleviate the condition of abandoned and terminally ill people.
