Admission to care
A patient or their caregiver calls (upon) the Cesta domů Advisory Centre and our counselors will listen to their wishes and make them familiar with the terms and the offer of our services. Upon filling in the application for admission to care, if a patient is indicated for the community palliative care, the head nurse will call and arrange the first visit with the family. If current capacity is limited, the head nurse will at least provide a medical consultation.
First visit
The first visit is always made by a doctor with a female or male nurse. They will listen to the difficulties and wishes of the patient and their loved ones, examine the patient and inform the family about our services. The admission to care takes place based on this first visit and the decision of the Palliative Care doctor and after signing the Informed Consent with the hospice care of Cesta domu.
Course of care
A nurse will be appointed as care coordinator responsible for the patient. The frequency of visits by doctors and nurses depends on the current state of health of the patient and their needs. The family has the mobile phone number of the designated nurse, as well as the emergency number for advice and help at night and on weekends and holidays.
Over the next days, psychosocial workers come to the families. They sign a care agreement with the patient, provide them and their families with useful information (e.g. on care allowance), offer an interview and help them cope with the changing situation. If necessary, they arrange for additional services and/or admission to inpatient facilities.
At the time of death, the nurse comes to the family, helps examine and prepare the body, contacts funeral service and guides the family through the process.
The bereaved may ask for individual support by a psychosocial worker, a psychotherapist, and a chaplain immediately after death, when preparing for the final farewell and when mourning.
What services can be used
It is possible to borrow medical compensatory aids that help both the patients and the caregivers.
Upon request, the family may use our respite services that make it easier for them to address the situation. We also offer the help of trained volunteers who work for our community palliative care unit for free in their free time. Their services are therefore not demandable. They are arranged individually according to needs.
Should you need more information on these services, please contact our Advisory Center.
Payments for the services of the Cesta domů Community Palliative Care Unit
The cost of the health services which are part of the complex hospice care for one patient was CZK 3 800 per day in 2023. Additional costs arise for the services of a multi-professional team closely related to the health service, such as social work, psychotherapeutic or psychological support, compensatory aids, and others. The total cost of complex care for one patient per day in 2023 in Cesta domů amounted to CZK 5 200. The community palliative care unit's services are covered from multiple sources.
Since 2018 a part of health services is reimbursed from public health insurance funds by health insurance companies in contract with individual hospices (mobile specialized palliative care, specialization nr. 926). The reimbursement from health insurance reaches CZK 1 760 for less symptom-intensive patient and CZK 2 370 for a more complex patient. The classification of the patient into the reimbursment from public health insurance is always decided by the doctor based on the indication criteria stipulated by the valid legislation (Decree 353/2017 Coll., Decree 354/2017 Coll.).
As of September 2018, Cesta domů Community Palliative Care Unit is in contract with all Czech health insurance companies. This allows us to claim the health services provided within our comprehensive hospice care to be reimbursed, for qualified patients.
The difference between the reimbursement and the cost of the complex care is covered by grants from governmental and non-governmental organizations and donations from individual and corporate donors. It remains true that people wanting to die at home may do so thanks to the financial support of donors and institutions.
The list of our sponsors can be found on the Czech edition of this site.
