Die evaluierung der hauskrankenpflegedienste der caritas: entwicklung, zielsetzungen und methoden
The Evaluation of Caritas’ Home-Care Services: Development, Targets, and Methods

Summary/Abstract: The Evaluation of Caritas’ Home-Care Services: Development, Targets, and Methods Caritas is one of the best known charity organizations active in Europe. Established in Romania immediately after the political shift in 1990, it developed services for the needy in different areas of Romania, among them a large network of medical home-care for dependent people (elderly, sick and with disabilities). At the request of Caritas International, the main founder of the Romanian Caritas home-care services, the Department of Social Work (Babes-Bolyai University) has evaluated the project from the point of view of clients, their relatives/helpers, the professionals working within Caritas, and outside collaborators, including volunteers. Data were gathered by questionnaires with closed and open ended questions and interviews. In these pages we present the data gathered on a sample of 826 (out of the total of 8000) cared for people and their family members (564 respondents). The answers of these groups were compared. The cared-for people are in majority elderly people, women (71%), roman-catholic (59%), pensioners (83%), many with the caring family members/or the helpers pensioners themselves (44%). The quality of life and housing are generally poor, especially for those living in rural areas, which represent 41% of the clients. The average income is 63 Euro, while 50% have less then 50 Euro and 25% less then 38 Euro/month. Both the clients and their helpers are very much satisfied with the home-care services offered by Caritas and consider them respectful, honest, competent, serious, friendly and optimist. They also report that the cared-for people feel much better, or better duet o the care received. Relatives/helpers appreciate they have some more free time and also feel understood by professionals. Though very appreciative, clients and family members expect more help for themselves, especially medication and financial means, as well as more time spent by their side, offering some entertainment. What is important from the point of view of administration is that the majority of the dependent persons considered home care as being better for them compared to that received in the hospital. This shows the need to extend the home-care services to more clients, served with a larger area of services. In a following article we shall also present the analysis of the organizational structure and status-quo of the care-force of this service, as well as its fit within the actual socio-medical service system of Romania.

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