HMC’s Residential Care Compound Helps Patients Reintegrate Into the Community

Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Residential Care Compound (RCC 1), one of the long-term care facilities operated by Rumailah Hospital, has successfully introduced an initiative that is helping patients transitioning back home.

The facility, which opened in October 2011, cares for residents with cognitive and physical disabilities. Commenting on the re-integration initiative, Ms. Aisha Al Khayarin, Director of Nursing in RCC1 said: “We aim to reintegrate our residents back into the community by providing them with exposure to social and recreational activities which we believe will positively impact their lives and help their reintegration back into the community.”

The transition back into the community from an acute care or specialty rehabilitation facility requires a multidisciplinary care plan. The goal of the treatment plan is to help patients learn ways to overcome the effects of their injury by teaching them compensatory strategies for cognitive, physical, or emotional difficulties occurring as a result of an injury. This goal is supported by the opportunity for residents to enjoy social activities outside of the Residential Care Compound that help prepare them to reintegrate into the community long term.

Ms. Sheeba Roselin Pragasam, Occupational Therapist, and Mr. Juanito Barayoga Ureta, Physiotherapist, added that community outings – part of their team’s Out on Pass (OOP) project - have been very successful in helping patients make the transition back home.

Through the OOP program, admitted patients - many of whom are long-term residents of the facility - are able to leave the residential compound for a set period of time and then return to complete their regular treatment plan.

Ms. Sheeba added that prior to being approved for the OPP program, patients are provided with education on medication and safety precautions. They are also provided with equipment and a home exercise regime to help them reintegrate back into their home life and the community.

As a direct result of the program, many patients have benefited from a smoother transition to their home, the community, or even back to their country of origin (in the case of expatriates). “Given the project’s positive results, we will highly recommend this model of care to other residential care institutions in Qatar as an initial step towards the community reintegration of patients,” added Ms. Al Khayarin.