If you require outpatient medical assistance, but you cannot attend a medical institution due to your health condition, then it is possible to receive medical assistance at home. It is provided by certified nurse or doctor's assistant, while medical rehabilitation services to stroke patients are provided by physiotherapist or physiotherapist's assistant, occupational therapist or audio speech therapist. (See all groups of peeople who in Latvia can recieve State-funded health care).
A family doctor or a doctor in a hospital, if a patient is discharged, may issue a referral for receipt of health care at home. Referral of rehabilitation specialist is required for the receipt of rehabilitation services at home (a family doctor may send to a rehabilitation specialist).
You may receive health care at home if:
- you have chronic disease and movement disorders due to which you are not able to appear in a medical institution;
- you are discharged from hospital or from day hospital after the surgery;
- stroke patient requires medical rehabilitation at home and provision of it is commenced within six months after falling ill (for patients having diagnosis: I60 Subarachnoid hemorrhage, I61 Intracerebral hemorrhage, I63 Cerebral infarction, I64 Stroke, without specifying whether it is a hemorrhage or infarction, or I69 Consequences of cerebrovascular diseases).
In case of chronic disease and movement disorders health care at home is provided for a time period up to 30 calendar days. If you will require the care for a longer period of time, then two working days prior to the end of the above mentioned term a family doctor may visit a patient and give his opinion to the service provider regarding the termination or continuation of the service.
In its turn, after discharge from a hospital or day hospital in relation to a surgery the duration of a health care service at home shall last for up to ten calendar days. If the care is required for longer period of time, then a family doctor, upon the request of a provider of the respective service, shall visit a patient and give an opinion regarding the termination or continuation of the care.