The project of the Geriatric Psychiatry Team at the Baixo Alentejo Local Health Unit was the big winner of the SNS Awards in the “Community Collaboration” category.
Training and Intervention in ERPIs in Baixo Alentejo: The Beja District is a vast territory, predominantly rural, with an insufficient public transport and healthcare network, an aging population (due to rural exodus or emigration) and with 2,5% prevalence of Dementia.
In this context, the team started in 2022 a community intervention project that encompasses: 1. Training actions for informal caregivers in Parish Councils; 2. Training of ERPI Professionals (nursing, occupational therapy and social work); 3. Teleconsultation for ERPI; 4. In-Person Consultation, with the clinical team traveling to the ERPIs.
Until the date, this strategy of articulation with local authorities and the social sector has allowed important gains in terms of: – training of professionals to intervene with users with dementia; – efficiency of use of SNS resources; – provision of differentiated care to a vulnerable population, dispersed and without timely action requires high use of hospital resources (urgency and hospitalization).
National Health Service Awards (SNS), also known as SNS Awards, These are distinctions awarded by the Executive Management of the SNS to professionals or teams that have contributed to the development of the SNS, during the 12 previous months.
These aim to recognize, encourage and inspire excellence in the NHS in all its professionals, highlighting the people and teams who build the SNS every day, voting being restricted to healthcare professionals.
All about the SNS Awards 2023 em https://www.sns.min-saude.pt/sns-awards/
The Geriatric Psychiatry Team of the Baixo Alentejo Local Health Unit is made up of the following elements: Vasco Nogueira, psychiatrist Maria Mouzinho, psychiatry intern Paula Colaço, nurse Marisa Morais, nurse Paula Rodrigues, psychologist Rui Cachopo, social worker Sónia Nunes, occupational therapist Mariana Santos, technical assistant.
