Nursing Consultation of "Nursing Centre of Católica - Lisbon" returns to the Balneário Público de Alcântara
With the reopening of the Balneário Público de Alcântara in Lisbon, the Nursing Consultation held by the Escola de Enfermagem (Lisbon) of the Instituto de Ciências da Saúde also restarted, fulfilling the demands that the COVID-19 pandemic requires.
Every week, professors and students of Nursing carry out a free consultation to the population that uses this facility, namely the people who live in homeless condition. These people are assisted in their health needs, including their mental health.
In the present time, the maintenance of this consultation has proved to be a community health priority for the "Nursing Centre of Católica", in compliance with the University's social responsibility.
The project of the Escola de Enfermagem
The public bathhouses in Lisbon are municipal resources, aimed at the vulnerable population and managed by the parish councils. Most of them originated in the 1930s. Almost 100 years after their existence, it was important for the researchers of the Escola de Enfermagem (Lisbon) who are part of the research project "Public Bathhouse Nursing" to understand the current users' typology.
With the purpose of characterising the socio-demographic and health profile of the users of the Alcântara Public Bathhouse, the first study was conducted in 2013 and concluded that the typical user was: male (78.6%), single (66.2%), in the active phase (87.5%), living in Alcântara (25.5%) and of Portuguese nationality. Health and economic conditions, loneliness, as well as homelessness (29.7%) seemed to be the reasons for using the PB.
This was followed by two more Diagnoses of the health situation of users, this time of the Arroios Public Bathhouse, in 2018, and in 2020 of the Bathhouses allocated to the Parish Council of Santa Maria Maior, the Public Bathhouses of Alfama and Mouraria. Sanitary and economic conditions, loneliness and homelessness continued to explain the use of those resources. Based on the needs expressed, the Católica Nursing School of Lisbon has been offering, since 2014, a Nursing consultation at the Public Bathhouse of Alcântara.
The researchers' concerns regarding people experiencing homelessness are: families and the experience of parenthood, poverty, social isolation and the pandemic situation of COVID-19.
