• Vodafone Romania Foundation invests approximately EUR 240.000 in the program "Taking care together"
• More than 900 persons benefits from aid and medical care, through this program

Vodafone Romania Foundation and Hospice "House of Hope" Foundation have the pleasure to announce the continuation of the program "Taking care together", for the second year consecutively. The program aims at offering support and assistance to the persons with diseases in final phases, as well as to theirs families.

"Taking care together" is a program supported by Vodafone Romania Foundation, together with Hospice, House of Hope Foundation, in 4 centres in Brasov, Bucuresti, Bacau and Oradea. In Oradea and Bacau, the program is developed with the help of another 2 foundations - Hospice Emanuel Oradea Foundation and Lumina Bacau Association.

"In the first year of this project 'Taking care together' over 900 persons, benefited from medical care, drugs, specialized home care and social services for families who take care of suffering people. It will be our pleasure to continue to support the program throughout next year, continuing the commitment the Vodafone Romania Foundation to stay close to the needs of the community. In total, we will invest approximately EUR 240,000 in this program designed to improve the living standards of patients with terminal illnesses and of their families," declared Elena Serban, Director of the Vodafone Romania Foundation.

"Continuing the partnership between the 'House of Hope' Hospice Foundation and Vodafone Romania Foundation gives the four centers involved the opportunity to answer the needs of patients and their families, as well as improve the work system for terminal patient and their families. Funding granted by the Vodafone Romania Foundation gave those at 'House of Hope' Hospice Foundation and Hospice Emanuel the opportunity to offer complex care services to patients and their families, while aiding Lumina Association in setting up a multidisciplinary team to work with terminal patients," said Adina Lazar, project coordinator with 'House of Hope' Hospice Foundation.

Throughout the first year of the program, all four centers added new services for terminal patients and their families. Through these new services, the centers are able to offer one-day housing and care in special locations or at home, so that people who usually taking care of these persons can take a day off.

The professional home care service are also part of the program, through which medical nurses pay regulate house calls to terminal patients to observe their evolution and offer specialized care.

The "Taking care together" program also includes an educational component, through which persons who taking care of children or adults listed with one of the four centers can attend meetings within support groups. These meetings include debates on various issues of interest attended by social and medical nurses and sometimes even by doctors or psychologists, depending on the theme. Meetings between support groups offer participants the socio-emotional and psychological support in finding solutions to their daily problems.

Furthermore, informational materials were designed to explain the evolution of illnesses through various stages, the treatments available for the most common diseases and specialized treatment that must be offered to some patients. These materials were distributed at support groups to facilitate access to specialized know-how for those who take care of terminal patients.

Vodafone Romania Foundation is a Romanian non-governmental organization with a charitable status, distinct from the commercial operations of the company. The activity of the Vodafone Romania Foundation is financed by the Company through an annual budget. In addition, Vodafone Romania employees contribute with monthly donations though the payroll giving system, and Vodafone Group Foundation contributes with annual grants.

'House of Hope' Hospice Foundation, a pioneer of terminal patient care services in Romania, since 1992, has been developing support services for terminal patients and their families through a partnership based on the corporate social responsibility policy of Vodafone Romania and its employees.