About HOSPICE Casa Speranței

Organization history and background

HOSPICE Casa Speranței is the largest foundation in the country that offers free specialized palliative care services.

The organization has two hospitals with integrated services, in Brașov and Bucharest, mobile teams 5 cities (Brașov, Bucharest, Făgăraș, Giurgiu, and Zărnești), a center for children in Adunații Copăceni, over 100 beds for hospitalization and auxiliary activities and 270 employees - all these resources being intended for the care of people diagnosed with incurable diseases.

Since 1992, HOSPICE has been supplying comprehensive palliative care services, which are offered in day centers, ambulatories, and inpatient units, at the patients' homes, and in partner hospitals. In its 32 years of existence, HOSPICE has brought relief and hope to more than 50,000 children and adults with incurable diseases.

HOSPICE Casa Speranței works to develop palliative care at the national and international levels through information, through educational programs dedicated to professionals, patients and the community, and by improving the legislation on the matter.

For more information about our organization please visit www.hospice.ro

New hospital in Adunații Copăceni

A property in the village of Adunatii Copaceni (close to Bucharest) was donated to the charity in 2013 by a Romanian family, for the purpose of helping sick children. The property comprises a “conac” and 4 other buildings. All the buildings needed renovation and adaptation. A fundraising campaign was launched in 2014 and 3 of the buildings, including the manor, were finished by 2018. Services including the day center and therapy center opened in 2019 and a family support “respite” service began in 2021. The 4th building needs demolishing and rebuilding and is the subject of this proposal. The vision is to create a complex model of care for children suffering from life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses that can be replicated (as required) in other parts of the country and region.

Children’s palliative care

Children’s palliative care is about promoting the best possible quality of life and care for every child with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition and their family. Giving families real choice has been key to this approach: a choice of place of care; a choice of place of death; and a choice of emotional and bereavement support.

Palliative care for children and young people is an active and total approach to care, from the point of diagnosis, throughout the child’s life, death and beyond. It embraces physical, emotional, social, and spiritual elements and focuses on the enhancement of quality of life for the child or young person and support for the whole family. It includes the management of distressing symptoms, provision of short breaks (respite care), care at the end of life and bereavement support.

Palliative care can be introduced at any point throughout a child’s life; it is completely individual. Some children may require palliative care from birth; others only as their condition deteriorates. There are more than 800 childhood illnesses and syndromes; each situation is different and care should be tailored to the child.

Current services at Adunații Copăceni

The day center and therapies center were opened in April 2019. Children and their parents are able to attend activities in the day center and access various therapies including physiotherapy, music and art therapy, play therapy, and therapy through tech (such as Virtual Reality). The family support programme was started in April 2021 and allows families to come with their children for a period of respite. The child is admitted to the respite center for an agreed period of time (usually one week) and can benefit from medical and nursing support and if able, participate in the day center activities. The family members can also stay at the center and benefit from their own activities, as well as receive counseling and support. There is a home-care service that comprises a doctor, nurse, social worker, and physiotherapist who visits children in their own homes. In addition, summer camps are organized every year for sick children, children who have been bereaved, or children who have a parent in the care of HOSPICE Casa Speranței. These camps provide children with a week of fun activities and at the same time, there are staff members and volunteers on hand to provide counseling and support.

More details about Adunații Copăceni center - https://www.hospice.ro/centre-hospice/adunatii-copaceni/

Awards and recognitions - https://www.hospice.ro/premii/