"My mother has been discharged from hospital, how do I activate home care?"
The association for citizen participation and protection answers questions about rights and access to health services.
My mother is 82 years old, she was discharged from hospital after a femur fracture and cannot move. They told me about Integrated Home Care, but I don't know where to start. Who should I call? How does it work? And how can I find out if the service is quality?
Integrated Home Assistance (ADI) is a public health and social welfare service that brings care directly to the home, allowing essential continuity of care for the elderly, dependent persons, the chronically ill or patients discharged from hospital. But how is ADI activated? The request can be submitted by: the citizen or a family member/caregiver; the general practitioner (MMG) or freely chosen paediatrician (PLS) the hospital specialist at the time of discharge; the ADI/PUA counter of the ASL, in the territories where it is provided.
The request triggers a multidimensional assessment, carried out by a team composed of a doctor, a nurse and a social worker, which evaluates health, functional and social needs. If the person is entitled to ADI, an Individualised Assistance Plan (PAI) is defined with: professional figures involved; type of services; frequency of access; duration of the process.
What services are included? Health services (nursing, physiotherapy, rehabilitation) fall within the Essential Levels of Care (Livelli Essenziali di Assistenza - LEA) and are therefore free of charge. Social welfare services may include a contribution, defined by the municipality.
Activation time depends on the territory: in post-hospital cases it is activated quickly while in others it may take longer.
