2007 Report
The Hospice functions from the 1th February 2007.
The Hospice has eight beds, at present four are occupied. The Hospice is lead by Franciscane Sisters who are sustained by an external team of nurses and hospital attendants.
The aim of the Hospice is to offer dignity and peace to the patients independent of their social class, their ethnical or religious affiliation, during the last period of their life until the last moment of their life. From the moment he enters the building the visitor will meet an atmosphere of serenity and adoration. Many patient experience this kind of atmosphere for the first time in their lives. Te optimal care full of self sacrifice comes from the Christian love, which you can find only at nun nurses. Its little wonder, that the nuns (dresses in white on the pictures) and the nurses and hospital attendants are perceived as angels in the world. We cannot imagine a better recognition of our hard work full of self sacrifice at the Hospice.
Beginning with the announced period the Hospice will function normally under the coordination of Sister Savia. The financing of the project is a huge challenge which needs a lot of patience and experience.
This is the reason why donations are accepted with great recognition.
By the Grace of God in 2007, we managed to successfully initiate our project – the Centre of Palliative Care “Hospice of Divine Mercy”.
You have brought a consistent contribution to the project’s development and it is an honour to share with you the joy of a wonderful success. In the beginning of 2008, we want analyze the achievements of the first year of the Hospice.
We would like to apologize for the fact that we haven’t written any letter since the inauguration of the Centre of Palliative Care “Hospice of Divine Mercy” on the 25th of November 2006 and we would like to inform you now about our activity.
1. Even before the inauguration of the Hospice we had selected the personnel, and afterwards we submitted the papers in order to set-up the contractual frame with the Health Insurance Bureau of the Timis County (Casa Judeteana de Asigurari de Sanatate – CJAS – Timis).
The selected personnel was employed starting in January and it was decided that the Centre for Permanent Palliative Care would begin its actual activity on February the 1st, on its own funds, resulted from donations, until the contract with the Health Insurance Bureau of the Timis County is signed.
After the evaluation made by the Health Insurance Bureau of the Timis County, the contract was signed, so the Centre for Palliative Care Hospice Type – “The House of the Divine Mercy” was accredited as a supplier of medical services in the field of palliation.
After signing the contract, it was decided that the sum of money for each person per day would be 118 Ron.
2. On February the 1st and the 2nd the personnel was trained and on February the 3rd a lecture and a workshop, on “Palliative Care, Automatic Syringe”, for physicians and nurses, started. The course was organized by the Romanian Association for Palliative Care – Timisoara Branch (represented by Dr. Oana Ciucure and Dr. Claudia Stefanescu) in collaboration with Lisburn Trust/Northern Ireland (represented by Dr. Aine McNeill, Med. As. Maggie Ross and Med. As. Tracey Ashfield).
The Centre started its activity on February the 5th with the admission of the first patient.
Another lecture was organized at the hospice of Timisoara in the same month, concerning the use and prescription of the opium derivates, (between the 9th and the 10th and between the 16th and the 17th). Twenty physicians attended this course organized by the Hospice “Casa Sperantei” Brasov in collaboration with the Centre for Physicians’ Specialization.
The Centre of Palliative Care – Hospice “The House of the Divine Mercy” Timisoara is a member of the National Coalition for Palliative Care founded at Brasov, in November 2006. It develops advocacy activities to sustain the patients’ rights to palliative care in Romania. The first meeting of this coalition was held at Sibiu on the 15th -16th of February 2007.
3. The Centre for Palliative Care Hospice Type organized on March the 19th 2007 a 10 day course on “Palliative Care of the Incurable Patients”. The lectures were given by Mrs. Ecaterina Nistor and were attended by sixteen people: the medical staff of the Hospice from Timisoara and other medical assistants from the Home Care Centres in the Timisoara Diocese.
4. Our centre of Palliative Care organized the Dedication Day of the Hospice, on the 14th-15th of April on the occasion of the feast of Divine Mercy. The programme of this feast began with a charity concert, having the purpose to help the persons who were taken care of by the Hospice Centre. The Gospel music concert was organized by Dominic Fritz- a young volunteer from Germany, at “Jesus’ Heart” Roman-Catholic Church, Balcescu Square. On Sunday, April 15th, the programme continued with the morning liturgy and with the Devotion of Divine Mercy in the Chapel of the Hospice at 3PM. The programme of this celebration ended with a visit of the Centre and a brotherly-repast, where participated employees and friends, benefactors, some of the Centre’s co-workers and some other persons were invited on this occasion.
5. The National Conference, The Palliative Care- Integrant Part of the Public Health System took place in Bucharest, on the 27th of April, with the participation of the authorities, specialists from the medical field, nongovernmental organizations, the cults, and international associations. Its aim was to improve the legislative regulations. Both the Centre of Palliative Care and The Care at Domicile Project from the Caritas Federation of Timisoara were represented at this conference.
6. We organized a feast at the Centre on the 11th of May 2007, on the occasion of The Medical Assistant’s International Day ( celebrated on the12th of May), in order to show the work which has been done by our assistants in palliative care so far, so that it might be appreciated in a public manner.
7. From the international donations obtained during the last summer we succeeded to repair the roof of the addition of the building, where the garage and the warehouse are situated. We completed the equipment of our Centre with nets for the windows and other objects necessary for its good functioning. We have also purchased 10 benches which are used for the park for the recreation of the patients and their families.
8. Celebrating the Hospice Day, during October 07th-18th , 2007, the centre organized several activities promoting the palliative care: presentations, the Volunteer’s Day, the Christian Youth Action.
9. During the period 19th- 22nd October we participated in Iasi at the scientific conference “Caritas – Charity and Professionalism”, where we presented the project and the activity of the Hospice, this palliative centre is the only one existing in Romania under the protection of Caritas.
10. Within the VIIIth National Conference of Palliation “Clinical Practice and Development of Services in the Palliative Care” in the period 9th-10th November 2007 at Poiana Brasov we presented scientific research papers and we expressed our own experience and activity in two papers “Nursing for Oncology Patients with Hemoragical Affections” and “Clinical Manifestations and therapeutic Management for Patients with advanced Cancer”.
11. On the 25th of November 2007, a year after the Hospice of Divine Mercy’s inauguration, we expressed our gratitude through the solemn celebration of the Holly Mass.
12. On Saint Nicholas’ Day, November the 6th 2007, the patients and the staff enjoyed the visit of a special guest, Saint Nicholas who offered them symbolic gifts, making them smile.
13. The students of the Social Assistance College were very excited to do their field work in our hospice, during November until the beginning of December.
14. In the Hospice of Divine Mercy, the Celebration of Our Saviour’ s Birth came a little earlier because on the 18th of December, our patients were very pleased to receive presents from the board of the hospice. These symbolic gifts enlightened their faces, bringing joy to their souls.
But the staff members and the volunteers enjoyed these special moments, too. They met later the same day, in the conferrence room, to celebrate and to spend their evening together, like a family.
Under the Christmas tree, we received, presents from our donors, that were joyfully opened.
Over the Holiday period, various choirs from Timisoara and Arad came to lift us up singing beautiful carols. They shared with us the joy and the hope given unto es through Christ’ birth.
15. The present situation concerning the number of persons, who were hospitalised in our centre (there are 10 places available) is the following:
214 persons were hospitalized until December 31th, 2007,
2627 hospitalized days,
71% of the hospitalized patients had ochological pathology,
29% of the patients have different other ilnesses,
the average hospitaliztion days/patient is 12 days.
16. Finally, we must say that the money we receive from the Health Insurance Bureau of the Timis County is not enough to pay all the costs which have to be covered by the Centre. This is why, we continue to use all the means we have to inform people about this service, we try to make them sensitive, in order to be able to collect permanent funds which are necessary, to offer a best quality palliative care.
Next to the financial support, our hospice profited from the volunteers’ help. Every volunteer offered his/her support in different areas: psichological, spiritual and social assistance, administration, cleaning, gardening, promoting the Centre. The volunteers gave away their time and talent for the benefit of the patients, the patients’ families and the staff.
17. During the year 2007 we had some visits from Europe and USA.
We thank God daily for His Mercy who made possible the existence and the functioning of our hospice. We also thank you for the confidence you had in us and for the material help you offered us so generously. We assure you, that in our common prayer we ask God to help you, your friends and collaborators with His Divine Grace and to fill you with His peace and love.
12.02.2008 Hospice Timisoara