Nursing care

Home nursing service

The home nursing service is provided by specially trained nurses – home nurses – for patients who do not need active treatment and a hospital stay. Inhabitants of Tallinn receive the service on the basis of a referral letter from a family doctor or a specialist. The home nursing service is free for insured persons living in Tallinn.

Home nursing services and medical procedures are listed in the regulation of the Minister of Social Affairs. For the provision of medical services, the living space must comply with elementary hygiene requirements. The home nursing service can be provided if the patient does not require special equipment and if they do not require a stay in the hospital.

The home nursing service is provided:

  • for elderly people who are suffering from chronic diseases and do not need constant medical care, but who need nursing services and instructions for coping with everyday life;
  • for patients whose illness caused by an acute condition has stabilized, and who no longer need inpatient treatment but rehabilitation and nursing services;
  • for terminally ill people who need a nursing service and whose relatives need caretaking instructions.

A home nurse compiles a nursing plan for the patient that is adjusted in accordance with the change in health and functional condition.  All medical procedures and nursing services are provided by the home nurse for the patient based on the decision and referral note of a doctor.

The frequency and duration of home nursing service visits depend on the patient’s health condition.