Bucharest, August 16, 2017 – More than 100 children from all over the country, patients with incurable diseases in the care of HOSPICE Casa Sperantei, in the two centers of the organisation in Bucharest and Brasov and more than 100 members of their families will benefit from the therapies provided under a new project named „Connection for Care and Compassion”. Developed through a partnership between the Vodafone Romania Foundation and HOSPICE Casa Sperantei, the project will provide an integrated system of medical services, psychosocial-emotional counseling support, educational support and respite services designed to give parents free time to solve other problems or recover their strengths. The initiative is supported by the Vodafone Romania Foundation with a financing of almost 600,000 lei, under the Connecting for Good program, the 2017 funding round.
Besides the classical multidisciplinary services, the project will integrate a new adapted concept called „Tech Room„, which will be implemented in the two HOSPICE centers in Bucharest and Brasov. The concept consists of a special room with state-of-the-art IT and mobile technology equipment. Patients will be able to participate in Tech Room in gaming and motion therapy sessions and online educational sessions. The new concept is designed to facilitate the specialized interventions provided by the HOSPICE team in an attractive manner, which enhances their efficiency.
„Technology-based solutions are being used with great success in various clinical situations. This is a fact confirmed every year by the results of the projects financed under Connect for Good program across the country. Games and virtual reality are an example of support that can play an important role in increasing the efficiency of palliative services. This is why we are happy to support the initiative of HOSPICE Casa Sperantei, a partner we have been working with for many years,” said Angela Galeta, Director of the Vodafone Romania Foundation.
„<< Connection for Care and Compassion >> represents a continuation and a substantial evolution of previous projects implemented with the support of the Vodafone Romania Foundation, projects which have prepared our organization for the integration of the information and mobile technologies in the management of all services for patients. Our goal is to develop a complex and integrated system of pediatric palliative services and interventions designed to contribute to improving the quality of life of children with incurable diseases and their families,” said Mirela Nemtanu, Executive Director of HOSPICE Casa Sperantei.
The estimated results of the first stage of this project’s implementation include 200 episodes of respite hospitalization, 50 socio-educational and respite events, 250 game and motion therapy sessions in Tech Room in Bucharest and Brasov, 300 online education interventions for children and 350 classical educational and counseling interventions for family members of small patients. In 2018, HOSPICE Casa Sperantei Foundation will also extend the project to the Socio-Medical Center at Adunatii Copaceni.
Vodafone Romania Foundation is a Romanian nongovernmental organization with charitable status, distinct and independent of the company’s commercial operations, established in 1998. During the 19 years of activity, Vodafone Romania Foundation has financed 1,046 programs run by 660 NGOs throughout the country, in the fields of health, education, social services. The projects had 1.9 million beneficiaries – children, young and old people, physically, socially or economically disadvantaged persons. So far, Vodafone Romania has invested more than 26 million euros in projects run by nonprofit partner organizations. More details about the Foundation’s programs are available on fundatia-vodafone.ro, http://jurnaldebine.fundatia-vodafone.ro/ and www.facebook.com/fundatiavodafone .
HOSPICE Casa Sperantei, a non-profit organization founded in 1992 in Brasov, introduced the concept of palliative care in Romania. HOSPICE is the largest foundation in the country offering free specialized services of this type. The organization has two integrated care service centers in Brasov and Bucharest, and mobile teams in Fagaras and Zarnesti for people diagnosed with incurable diseases. HOSPICE has developed comprehensive palliative care services provided in daycare centers, outpatient facilities and own home admission units, at patients’ home and in partner hospitals. In its 25 years of existence, HOSPICE has brought relief and hope for over 22,000 children and adults with incurable diseases. HOSPICE Casa Sperantei develops palliative care support at national and international level through information, educational programs dedicated to professionals, patients and the community and by improving the legislation in the field. More information is available on www.hospice.ro. Further details about the „Care and Compassion Connection” project can be found at: www.hospice.ro/educatie/project- training- development.
