Integrating clinical and home care for mother, infants
Introducing services for Mental Health and care of the Elderly
OVERVIEW
An initiative to provide continuum of care extending from home to hospitals for rural – tribal women, infants, the elderly, and persons with psychosocial problems, in over 150,000 population in southern Rajasthan, India. Local youth (men and women) have been trained and deployed as Home Care Workers to serve their community. They visit homes, survey, screen, identify and/ or provide supervised care using point of care equipment, and refer those needing clinical work up to clinics and hospitals.
PROGRAM DETAILS
- A trained facility health educator (FHE) provides post-partum education and care after delivery. She identifies vulnerable women & newborns for delivery of special care & continuous monitoring in hospital and home
- FHE conveys delivery information to a Call & Data center, which further relays information to ASHAs and Home Care Workers (HCWs)
- Trained HCWs visit homes of vulnerable women & newborns to follow-up, and additionally screen elderly persons and adults for mental health issues, in the vicinity. They promote health & wellness through education, self care, yoga, etc
- If they identify a health condition requiring medical attention, they refer the patient to the nearest health center for diagnosis and investigations
- After diagnosis and start of treatment, HCWs make home visits to track the patient’s progress
- The Call and Data center and field supervision team monitor and support both the FHE & HCW activities
- The Home Care training programme is being refined in consultation with subject experts
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
- Improved monitoring of mother and newborn in hospital
- Follow-up care of mothers and infants at home
- Improved health care access for mothers and infants, maternal morbidity needs addressed
- Improved nourishment of infants
- Established primary elder health services
- Established primary mental health care services
- Trained and skilled local youth in home care
- Accredited short-term course on Home Care
More details coming soon…
