THE NEED OF THE HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE SERVICES AT HOME FOR PATIENTS HOSPITALIZED IN THE NURSING HOSPITAL

Abstract

The majority of Lithuanian municipalities are facing the challenges of aging population – growing morbidity of chronic diseases and special nursing and health care needs for the aged citizens, demanding complex social and health care. These factors also induces the additional activities that are not directly associated with health care, and deficiency of resources in primary health care sector. In 2019 European Assessment of progress on structural reforms, prevention and correction of macroeconomic imbalances, and results of in-depth reviews is underlined, that institutional care model, dominating in Lithuania, is not sufficient for the aging society and growing needs for integrated and long-term care services. The aim of this article is to analyze and evaluate the needs of health care and social care services at home for long care patient hospitalized in the nursing hospital and to offer measures for developing for these services. The results of the study showed that more than half of patients with chronic illnesses had never received primary health care (57 %) and social care services at home (80 %), more than half (57 %) of the respondents didn’t know about the social services organized and provided by the municipality. Most respondents (59 %) would prefer long-term health care services provided at home, but respondents (80 %) would not agree to pay extra for these home care services. Differences in the legal framework for home health care and social services does not allow organize and delivery the flexible, long-term, integrated home-based health care and social care services.