Treatment activity

A patient with a diagnosis of a chronic disease requiring 24-hour nursing care, who, according to the Barthel scale assessment, directed to the care facility has scored 40 points or less, may be admitted to the care facility.

The referral along with the qualifying form for patient admission is filled out by the attending physician (primary care or specialist, e.g., cardiologist, neurologist) and the community nurse.

The task of the PCK care facility is to provide 24-hour care, rehabilitation, and continuation of treatment for patients with chronic illnesses and patients who have undergone hospital treatment and have completed the diagnosis process, surgical treatment, or intensive conservative treatment, and no longer require hospitalization in a hospital ward. However, due to their health condition and physical disabilities, lack of independence in self-care and self-management, the need for constant medical supervision, the need for professional care, and rehabilitation, they should remain in the care facility.

The following therapies are conducted within the care facility:

• rehabilitative
• psychological
• speech therapy
• occupational therapy

The monthly fee for staying in a nursing facility, which includes the costs of meals and accommodation, referred to in Article 18 of the Act of August 27, 2004, on healthcare benefits financed from public funds, is determined by the manager of the nursing facility. The fee is re-evaluated each time the income of the beneficiary residing in the nursing facility changes.

For residence in a nursing and therapeutic facility, the fee amounts to 250% of the lowest pension, but not more than 70% of the monthly income of the person applying for a referral or the income of the person obligated to bear the costs, as understood in terms of social assistance regulations.

The costs of medical services are covered under contracts with the National Health Fund (NFZ).

• Application for issuing a referral to a Care and Treatment Facility (attachment No. 1 to the Regulation of the Minister of Health of June 25, 2012)
  
  The following documents should be attached to the application:
• Nursing interview conducted by a health insurance nurse or a nurse from the healthcare provider where the patient applying for the referral is staying (attachment No. 2 to the Regulation of the Minister of Health of June 25, 2012);
• Medical certificate (attachment No. 2 to the Regulation of the Minister of Health of June 25, 2012);
• Assessment according to the Barthel scale issued by a health insurance doctor and a health insurance nurse (attachment No. 1 to the Regulation of the Minister of Health of August 30, 2009);
• Documents confirming the income of the person applying for the referral or the person obliged to pay the costs of staying in the facility, in particular:
  - a decision from the pension and disability authority determining the amount of pension or annuity; the decision should include the consent of the patient applying for the referral to deduct the payment for the stay in the facility by the appropriate pension and disability authority from the pension or annuity, in accordance with separate regulations, or
  - a decision granting the permanent compensatory allowance or social pension; the decision may include the consent of the patient applying for the referral or their legal representative to receive these benefits through the facility.
• Copy of the patient's insurance card
• Copy of the patient's identity card
• Test results:
  - HBS Ag (valid for 2 months)
  - Anti HCV (valid for 2 months)
  - OWA (valid for 2 months)
  - Chest X-ray (valid for 1 year)
  - ESR, morphology
• For a patient receiving parenteral and enteral nutrition - Qualification card for nutritional treatment (available for download)

The length of stay in the nursing and therapeutic facility is determined individually and depends on the health condition of the beneficiary and the current assessment using the Barthel scale, conducted by a doctor and nurse of the given nursing and therapeutic facility on the day of the beneficiary's admission to the facility and at the end of each month.