Most people who need inpatient hospital services are admitted to an ‘acute care’ hospital for a relatively short stay. But some people may need a longer hospital stay and there are others, who are elderly — who no longer need to be in hospital but require long-term, inpatient medical care.
As part of Qatar’s commitment to delivering safe, compassionate, and effective healthcare to all residents in Qatar, Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Daam Specialized Care Center was opened recently.
The new specialised facility will accommodate 68 patients and provide occupational therapy, recreational therapy, physiotherapy, and medical and nursing care, all in a comfortable, home-like environment. It will provide care to elderly Qatari patients who no longer need to be in hospital but require long-term, inpatient medical care.
It is designed as a space that provides the best quality patient-centered medical care while supporting patients in regaining or maintaining optimal levels of functioning.
The Daam Specialized Care Center is connected to the Enaya Spezialised Care Center via a link bridge, allowing for efficiencies in staffing, equipment, and space. Patients will be transitioned to the new facility in the coming weeks.
“Daam is an important part of continuous care for patients over the age of 60 years. The first and second floors of the facility will provide care for elderly patients who require long-term mechanical ventilation, while the third and fourth floors will care for older adults with dementia, other forms of cognitive impairment, and those who require functional rehabilitative care,” Dr Hanadi Al Hamad, Acting Chair of Elderly Geriatrics at HMC told The Peninsula.
“The new facility will help more people access the care they need in the community, close to family and friends. Unlike a traditional hospital environment, the Daam Specialized Care Center has been tailored to meet the needs of long-term care patients.”
“All rooms are private and have enough space to accommodate family and include an en suite bathroom. They are also unique in featuring a wide range of artworks from a number of renowned Qatari artists. The Center has been designed to be warm and as home-like as possible and is a step in the right direction to alleviating wait times in our hospitals, which has been a key priority for HMC,” Dr Hanadi said.
As compassionate care plays a vital role in long term care, a specialised team of about 150 nurses have been recruited to the Daam Specialized Care Center.
“The type of patients we care here are different from those seen at traditional hospitals. Therefore, we have trained and educated our nurses to give compassionate care to every patient,” said Magda Attia Elmaraby, Director nursing at Daam Specialised Care Center.
In recent years, HMC has made major strides towards redefining continuing care in Qatar. In addition to the two existing Enaya Specialized Care Centers, the Corporation operates two community-based facilities in Muaither and a multi-disciplinary Home Healthcare Service which cares for patients across Qatar.
The first Enaya Specialized Care Center opened in 2010. Then called the Skilled Nursing Facility, it was the first-of-its-kind in the region, providing round-the-clock monitoring and treatment from specialist nurses and doctors. Five years later, the facility was expanded to meet the needs of the country’s growing population and in 2015 the Enaya Specialized Care Centers 1 and 2 officially opened. Today, these facilities provide a healing environment with over 150 patient beds.
It was in late 2017 that H E Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, the Minister of Public Health, and H E Sheikh Abdulla bin Saoud Al Thani, Qatar Central Bank Governor and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sports and Social Activities Support Fund (Daam) had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the Daam Specialized Care Centre.
The donation from Daam covered the full cost to retrofit and commission the new facility. Daam Specialized Care Center is situated in the Hamad Medical City and promises a better caring environment for elderly patients who need long term care.
