What are the functions of a health visitor?

At present, the visiting nurse is increasingly becoming a specialist, without which it is impossible to carry out complex patient care, carry out all necessary procedures and provide a recovery period.

Patronage can be carried out in different directions:

• Patronage of faders.
• Patronage of the elderly.
• Patronage of the disabled.
• Patronage of cancer patients.

Depending on the specialization, a qualified and experienced specialist assists not only his ward, but also morally supports his relatives, explaining how to behave and take care of the sick.

In addition, there are various patronage services for Orthodox churches and charitable organizations that, in addition to the main areas of patronage, help in the rehabilitation of drug addicts and HIV-infected people.

Responsibilities and tasks of the visiting sister

A visiting nurse is a qualified specialist in the field of medicine who comes to the house and helps in the care of the newborn( in the case of the patronage of newborns) and carries out simple medical procedures.

A health nurse is monitoring not only the condition of the patient, but also the conditions of his residence. Her duties also include timely notification of the attending physician about changing the patient's health status, monitoring the availability and reception of all necessary medications, providing psychological assistance to the patient and training relatives for the necessary care procedures. It can be sent from the hospital at the place of residence, from paid visiting services, from a charity non-profit organization.

Nursing for newborns

The patronage of newborns is an obligatory program of medical services provided free of charge in the community. A pediatrician coming to the house examines a newborn, checks the mother's state of health, gives the necessary recommendations for caring for the baby. In addition, the task of the visiting patron is to check the compliance of the living conditions of the family and the place of the baby's stay with all the established norms and requirements.

The first visit of the pediatrician will take place within three days after the delivery of the newborn and the mother from the hospital. After that, during the month, the visiting patron will several times come to the house.

In case of parents' unwillingness to carry out such supervision, it is necessary to write a written application, specifying the objective reason for the refusal.

Patronage of the elderly person

In elderly age, care and support of close people is especially necessary, but working relatives do not always have the opportunity to give attention and help to an elderly person. Therefore, for many families, a nursing nurse for an elderly person becomes an indispensable assistant in caring for elderly relatives.

A qualified specialist will become an excellent companion to an aged person who is in need of psychological support and communication, will look after him in the absence of relatives, help to make a walk, will monitor the health of the ward and carry out the necessary set of medical procedures.

In the case when round-the-clock care is required, a nurse-nurse is hired.

Such services are, as a rule, paid by specialized services. There is also free patronage from charitable organizations, but their goal is the care and support of single elderly people who find themselves in a difficult life situation without the help of relatives.

Patronage of disabled and seriously ill

In the case when a seriously ill patient is treated at home, relatives are not always able to carry out the whole complex of procedures for caring for him, cope with the psychological stress that arises from an understanding of helplessness and a serious illness of a loved one.

In such situations, it is better to turn to the services of a visiting nurse. When caring for the seriously ill and disabled, the employee of the visiting service performs the following functions:

• Cares for the patient, including sanitary and hygienic.
• Controls changes in the patient's health status( measurement of body temperature, pressure, etc.).
• Controls the availability and intake of all necessary medications.
• Notifies the attending physician of changes in the patient's health status.
• Teaches relatives of the patient the correct technique of caring for him.
• Provides psychological support to the patient and his relatives.

Visit to the visiting sister

It is better to visit the visiting patron in advance. In case of patronage of newborns it is necessary to prepare shoe covers, a towel, a passport, a medical pole. It must be remembered that the visit will occur at the most unexpected time, but most often medical workers come in the morning. In addition, it should be borne in mind that the health visitor will examine the conditions in which the child is, and can ask questions to make sure the family is happy.

In the case of elderly or disabled patients, when an employee of this service visits a ward every day, it is also necessary to prepare a working space for him. It should be provided with the necessary equipment and medicines. The time in which the visiting sister will come to the house, the regime of the day, the time of walks with the elderly person, the ways of organizing his leisure are discussed in advance.

Orthodox patronage services

Orthodox patronage service can be created at the temple, monastery, charitable foundation and other non-profit organizations. Services are provided free of charge, activities are carried out through private donations. In addition to the basic directions, the staff of the service helps in the rehabilitation of drug addicts, provides babysitting services to poor families with many children, and works in hospices and HIV centers.

In case of incurable diseases, nursing nurses provide palliative care, which is very important to prevent suicide cases among cancer patients.

Psychological and spiritual support, carried out by Orthodox patronage services, helps to alleviate the condition of abandoned and terminally ill people.