Pilots on Rough Sea

Badly nourished children, a person in need of care or pregnant and jobless. Families in difficult situations do not have to be desperate. Specialists with a special further education can help them – the family health nurses.

01/05/2009

„I cannot let him starve!” Martha Rösler was in despair. When her husband was released from hospital when he had wished to die at home she did not know how difficult this situation would become for her and her two children. Fortunately, a family health nurse stood by her. Daniela Massoli spoke with Martha Rösler and the children about the father’s illness, why he probably did not want to eat, consulted a doctor and made the decision easier to bring the husband and father to the clinic once again.

Daniela Massoli is one of up to now 18 family health nurses in Germany. Those who want to do this further education have to be registered nurses and should have two years of work experience. The curriculum for the further education was constructed in a model project of the WHO (World Health Organisation) and the German Professional Association for Nurses (DBfK) because experts noticed that the health of the German population urgently has to be improved. The WHO brought the project “Gesundheit 21 – health for all in the 21st century” to life, where a special focus lies on the nurses which visit the people at home and support them.

Family health nursing is to be a connection between the already existing health care and social institutions. “We visit the people. They do not have to come to us as it is usually the case in our system”, explains Andrea Weskamm. She directs the competence centre for family health care of the DBfK which was founded in January 2009 and which wants to establish the further education in five towns in Germany. Up to it is only offered in Essen. From there, Daniela Massoli got her skills as well which she needs for her new profession – among other things they have to communicate with the social welfare office and health insurances, know about care right and be well organised.

“The health nurses analyse the family and its milieu and see where it needs help”, says Weskamm. The individual support is to help people who do not get to grips with the health care system. This can also be families in which someone is chronically ill or in need of care, disadvantaged groups, migrants and unmated old people. A study of the University Witten Herdecke shows that family health nurses are needed and the visits are good for the families. “They trust the nurses. After all the visits are voluntary”, concludes Westkamm. This is a huge difference to other institutions like for example the social welfare office.

Despite its advantages family health care is still in the early stages of development. “The profession has neither been enshrined in the act nor officially approved yet”, Weskamm concedes. “However, I do see the permanently increasing demand for public health care. Especially since we are all getting older and the challenges for home care get bigger we have to offer individual solutions.” Also making networks between physicians, offices and other official institutions is an important part of the work.

Some corners of the health care system have not seen this reason yet. Daniela Massoli realised: “At the beginning, especially ambulatory care services did not know if we would be competing. However, we do not nurse people but support the whole family. Even physicians did not know what to do with this new profession. “Meanwhile, they think it is good, because they realise that it is all about teamwork.”

Daniela Massoli will give her experiences she made in numerous visits to other participants of the further education for family health nursing, because she will take over the direction of the education institute in Essen. “By this way I can reach even more people”, she points out and is looking forward to her new task. She has the intention: “We must not leave these families alone.”

Natascha Mörs
REHACARE.de