The new Geriatric Care Centre in the Polish coastal city of Sopot was designed to provide the Pomorskie region’s older residents with access to a comprehensive range of specialised medical services that were not previously available locally. Along with in- and outpatient treatment on site, these services include round-the-clock telecare support, for the patients, their families and carers.
- 21 February 2020
The establishment of the centre provides elderly people in our region with easy access to geriatric, psychogeriatric and rehabilitation services. It eliminates the need for these residents to seek specialist medical care in other regions, which is often difficult given the distances involved and may actually be impossible for some patients.
With the inauguration of the new centre in November 2019, Sopot’s elders and their peers throughout the wider area have access to specialised medical care much closer to home. And they may not be the only ones to benefit in the long term: while the centre is the first of its kind in Poland, it may well inspire other parts of the country to set up similar, comprehensive services all in one location.
A wide variety of specialised medical services…
The centre provides comprehensive medical care and a wide variety of complementary services to support patients’ physical health and mental wellbeing. Facilities include an inpatient ward (opening in January 2020), a day hospital and an outpatient clinic, whose work is flanked by three further services housed on site: a rehabilitation clinic, a psychogeriatric ward, and a clinic providing psychological and psychiatric support. Teams that provide healthcare services to patients at their homes have also been set up.
In addition, the centre delivers support remotely by means of a telecare service, which patients, relatives and carers can call to discuss any concerns. This service enables users to flag problems as they emerge, helping them to determine the best course of action and widening the scope to treat illnesses early. An educational unit supports patients’ families with organised training. Activities to encourage healthy lifestyles are also planned.
The Centre’s plans for the future include other ways of engaging with the wider community. Partnerships with general practitioners, welfare centres and NGOs throughout the region are being considered, as is a network of local day hospitals to be developed in cooperation with the region’s municipalities. Volunteering opportunities will enable the general public to get involved in the delivery of care-related support. The centre is also exploring ways to organise activities for senior citizens, in partnership with schools and universities.
…all provided under the same roof
The complex that houses the centre — which is part of the Jadwiga Titz-Kosko Rheumatological Centre in Sopot — was created by renovating two existing buildings and constructing a new one. Along with this brick-and-mortar investment, the ERDF project that backed the centre’s establishment covered the acquisition of medical equipment for diagnosis and treatment, such as a computer tomograph, a digital X-ray camera, ECG and medical ultrasound equipment, and devices for cryotherapy, electrotherapy, magnetotherapy, phototherapy and radiation therapy. It included the deployment of the centre’s integrated healthcare model and the training of its medical and nursing staff.
In addition to boosting the geriatric care services available in the heart of Poland’s Tricity – the metropolitan area that encompasses Sopot along with neighbouring cities Gdansk and Gdynia – the establishment of the Centre is generating employment. In total, 70 new jobs are planned.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “The Geriatric Care Centre in Sopot” is EUR 6 680 561, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR EUR 4 612 725 through the “Pomorskie Voivodeship Regional” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Social inclusion”.