Relation between treatment and rehabilitation

The word "rehabilitation" comes from the Latin rehabilis - "restoration of capacity." According to the definition of the World Health Organization, rehabilitation is a set of measures designed to ensure that persons disabled as a result of diseases, injuries and birth defects, adapt to new conditions of life in the society they live.

Nowadays, the role of a personal rehabilitation after an illness or treatment becomes more and more important. There is a number of serious diseases and disorders, acquired and congenital, when a person is being treated for a long time, and sometimes is not cured, and loses not only physical skills and functions, but also social and psychological ones. This concerns the ability of self-service, interaction with others, including relatives and friends, and the ability to study, work, develop, realize oneself and be an active member of society. The relation between the psychological state and the physical condition of a person has long been proven. Often after suffering a serious illness, or having a serious illness, a person cannot achieve the desired psychological state on its own. In such cases, the support of loved ones, the help a psychologist, the help of rehabilitation specialists, and the special rehabilitation programs become a requirement.

A family where one of the members is seriously ill or has physical limitations, frequently encounters a number of problems. This is not only an exhaustion of material resource, but also a loss of physical strength (chronic fatigue), a lack of resources for keeping and maintaining the life, emotional burnout, loss of orientation in life, a feeling of helplessness and powerlessness, social detachment. And here it is important to help an ill person and its entire family.

Russian Orthodox Diakonia in Europe "Good Deed" helps and supports the families with children that come to Europe for a treatment from the countries of former Soviet Union.
Our care-receivers experience a plenty of stress factors when coming for a treatment: language barrier, persistent anxiety for the child, a difficulty to find their way around. Our volunteers meet them at an airport, translate, buy and bring food and essentials, support the mothers and children by word and deed. Before coming for treatment, many also seek our help in finding a clinic that is ready to accept the family for a treatment.

"Good Deed" has been helping seriously ill children for several years. In this time, we have understood and felt that there is an urgent need for rehabilitation of these families, next to the treatment. Frequently, the treatment takes a long time, and, after it, the family is left alone with the new reality and problems that have arisen during the treatment. An opportunity to undergo a rehabilitation course is extremely rare, and even if it is, as a rule, the course is only aimed at the physical condition. This makes the DobroMore family rehabilitation programs both unique and necessary. The rehabilitation in this context covers all family members, and the aim is the social and psychological restoration. The DobroMore project helps a family to "reboot", find internal resources and get a charge of positive emotions. Its main goals are: restoration of a positive perception of life, family and society, assistance to parents in overcoming the consequences of stress, getting rid of "disabled person mentality" to become an active member of society who knows their strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and limitations.

The rehabilitation shifts take place on Adriatic coast, in Montenegro, this provides an additionall  beneficial effect on all the participants. The rehabilitation helps not only a suffering person  but also all who live with it all the time. Being with the whole family, the creation of a positive microclimate and the work of professionals make it possible to identify and overcome the psychological problems of each family member as efficiently as possible.