Home care program expands its presence at Souza Aguiar Hospital.

The Rio de Janeiro Municipal Health Department (SMS) has expanded the presence of the Home Care Program for the Elderly (PADI) at the Souza Aguiar Municipal Hospital (HMSA) in downtown Rio. A pioneering public policy of the Rio de Janeiro City Hall, PADI has been expanded and now has teams installed in ten hospital units in the network. At HMSA, the PADI structure has been strengthened, currently consisting of three multidisciplinary teams (doctor, nurse, physiotherapist and nursing technicians) and a support team (nutritionist, speech therapist, occupational therapist, psychologist and social worker).

 

PADI offers home care assistance, primarily to people aged 60 or older, but without age restrictions. The service is intended for stable patients, confined to bed or home, with illnesses requiring intensified and sequential care that can be provided at home.

 

– The Home Care Program for the Elderly has always been a fundamental service for our large emergency and urgent care hospitals. We have had significant growth in the elderly population in Brazil, so it is very important to strengthen the services that support the elderly. Furthermore, with the PADI base installed at the Souza Aguiar Hospital, we can expand the capacity for home care assistance to people with reduced mobility for other reasons – says the municipal Secretary of Health, Daniel Soranz.

 

The expansion of the PADI (Home Care Program) at the Souza Aguiar Municipal Hospital is a consequence of the changing profile of the unit's patients. In recent years, the life expectancy of the population of Rio de Janeiro has increased, raising the number of patients who need home care support. Furthermore, the HMSA, which historically served many residents from other neighborhoods or even other municipalities, began receiving more residents from its own surrounding area, which also contributed to the increased demand.

 

The strategy helps free up hospital beds by monitoring patients after discharge in the comfort of their homes, with the support of all necessary professionals and equipment. The program teams actively seek out hospitalized patients who meet the eligibility criteria, which include people requiring intensive care; people who are bedridden and have chronic or acute conditions affecting mobility; and other health conditions.

 

– The arrival of the PADI team represents an extremely significant advancement for our hospital. The expansion of this service strengthens the strategy of safe and responsible hospital discharge, allowing clinically stable patients to continue their treatment at home with appropriate and humane follow-up, in addition to promoting a better quality of life for patients and their families – says the director of the Souza Aguiar Municipal Hospital, Paula Travassos.

 

Infrastructure improvements

At Souza Aguiar Hospital, the infrastructure dedicated to PADI (Patient Care and Development Program) also received improvements. The base will have spaces to welcome family members of patients hospitalized in the unit, as well as for carrying out the daily activities of each professional, such as recording care in the system, mandatory notifications, taking care of patient documentation, and planning care routes.

 

– The implementation of the PADI base at Souza Aguiar is a great achievement. It will enable an increase in the number of patients receiving care, not only due to the larger number of teams, but also by improving the strategy for professionals to travel to homes – says Girlana Marano, the advisor responsible for PADI at the Municipal Health Department.

 

Since 2010, the Home Care Program for the Elderly has served approximately 45 patients, with over 2,7 million procedures performed. Today, with 31 teams distributed throughout the municipality, the PADI also inspired the creation of the "Better at Home" program by the Ministry of Health.

 

Photos available at the link:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dGFy6PA_0b5jxT4vDmy8nmSabAS6qopY

CreditEdu Kapps/SMS

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March 2th, 2026

Appointments: Souza Aguiar Hospital elderly PADI