Description
The Veliko Tarnovo region provides predominantly hospital psychiatric care and has long standing and established programs for medication treatment in hospital and out of hospital conditions. There is a tremendous need of establishing community care. The psychiatric hospitals in Bulgaria are characterized by bad hygiene conditions, old equipment and furnishing, cramping of many patients in small places, assigning predominantly medication treatment. The project aims at quality improvement of the provided services at the hospital wards through humanization of the conditions and integration of a day care. 3 hospital wards will provide the necessary medical and psychosocial care in hygienic and safe premises. 30 medical specialists will receive an additional IT training which together with the acquired earlier ability to provide psychosocial care will give an opportunity for adequate professional realization. About 500 patients from the region will annually benefit from the new conditions of hospital stay. The project activities are fully directed towards the accomplishment of the objectives of the policy of psychiatric health in the Republic of Bulgaria.
Summary of project results
The specific objective of the project was to humanize the conditions at the stationary. The latter is realized through repairs, reconstruction and retrofitting. Sanitary units were built in the hospital rooms, a hospital lift was put into operation, a video surveillance system was built, and a modern fire-fighting system was built. The premises of the staff gained a new look and were build separated premises for psychosocial work within the wards. All changes allow the reorganization of intra-ward services with priority early psychosocial interventions in the acute wards and also to optimize timing. The implementation of the program has been affected the status of the mentally ill as follows: • Patients who require long-term hospital care have got better chance to receive adequate treatment; • Patients with severe mental disorders could receive support from specialized personnel and also acquire skills for independent life and work. Good coordination between the different departments were established to provide the patients with better living opportunities as an alternative to hospitals. The early training in psychosocial and employability skills increases patients' self-esteem and eventually brings back the joy of life; • The implementation of a set of services improved care quality and provided humane conditions for the mentally ill patients in the hospital as well as adequate rehabilitation programs. At the medical staff level, as a result of the project completion, there are: • Highly motivated staff; • Trained personnel, able to work in a new organizational environment and with innovative approach to the patients.
Summary of bilateral results