The Vlček Family Foundation has been supporting the Hořovice Hospital since 2023. During that time, two grants have been spent on the support and development of the DIOP and NIP departments at the Hořovice Hospital.
The third grant, which this time bears the project title "Still in the same boat", aims to increase professional qualifications within the DIOP and Palliative Care teams of the hospital. It builds on the support of the previous grant, which focused on the development, training and support of a multidisciplinary team caring for children with serious life-limiting illnesses.
"The main aim of the project is not only education, but also psycho-hygiene and support for professionals who care for children in the most difficult life situations. In this way, we improve the quality of care for patients and their families," explains Tereza Tomanová, MD, head of the DIOP department.
The previous project "On the same boat" brought regular supervision, crisis intervention and specialized training, including crisis intervention training or professional seminars in the field of children's palliative care. "The project has helped to open up the topic of mental well-being of caregivers and has strengthened our ability to provide long-term and sustainable care not only for patients, but also for the multidisciplinary team that cares for the patients," adds Toman.
The follow-up project will run until January 2027 and, in addition to educating and supporting the team, will focus on collaborating with other hospital departments and external service providers to bring care to more families. It also plans to expand complementary methods such as canister therapy, hippotherapy or contact therapy, and to involve a play specialist to work with children.
Significant support has also been given to the NIP unit, which, thanks to a grant from the Foundation, has introduced a play programme with proven benefits - reducing the need for medication, improving sleep cycles and reducing deprivation in children. "After all, play is an intrinsic need of every child. Even children on artificial lung ventilation and children with different types of disabilities need to play, although their play has its own specifics," emphasizes Jana Djakow, MD, NIP's Chief Medical Officer.
"I consider the involvement of philanthropists in the development of palliative care in the Czech Republic to be very important. Even the creation of our hospital's Support and Palliative Care Team was supported by a grant from the then Avast Foundation (now NF Abakus) in 2016. This year, we have again received support from the Foundation in the form of team and individual coaching," says Mahulena Exnerová, MD, and adds: "As a representative of our hospital team and professional society, I am very grateful for the grant opportunities that the Vlčků Family Foundation creates in cooperation with experts to develop various forms of care for seriously ill children and their families across the country."
"Supporting activities such as the On the Same Boat and Still on the Same Boat projects is a way for us to fulfil the Foundation's mission - to improve the lives of families of seriously ill children and to strengthen the professional teams that help them," adds Veronika Růžičková, Project Manager of the Vlčků Family Foundation.
The Hořovice Hospital greatly appreciates the external support it receives in the form of grants and special programmes. A big thank you goes not only to the Vlčková Family Foundation, but especially to the owner of the AKESO medical holding for the construction of both departments and constant support for their further development.
