Home Nursing for children with cancer in Greece
GSK supports the Association of Parents with Children with Cancer Floga, in the development of an innovative “Home Nursing” programme for children with cancer. The initiative enables children who need daily care (blood taking, Hickman valve care) to receive it at home from trained nurses, significantly improving their quality of life by reducing the number of hospital visits and the daily transfers required; reducing the risk of exposure to infections in hospital waiting rooms and outdoors and absenteeism of parents from their work.
The programme was introduced in 2009 in cooperation with the oncology units of the two paediatric hospitals in Athens, with the first home visit taking place on 23 June 2009. After the second year of implementation, the benefits of the programme for the children's quality of life are clear.
- More than 312 children receive home visits on a daily basis
- More than 6,100 home visits have taken place so far
- 6 trained nurses are participating in the programme
- From the two paediatric hospitals around the Athens region
