ABSTRACT
In Greece, home nursing was enacted by law in 1992, which determines the terms and conditions of operation. Staffs of the intermediate units comprise doctors, nurses, social workers, and other specialised personnel offering integrated health and social care services to the whole population. In the Mediterranean model, the family generally plays the central role in the process of care and in many instances it is considered as the most effective institution for offering an “integrated” balance of health and social care to the older person. The Ministry of Health and Welfare provides services through two main mechanisms: the National Health System and the National Social Care System (NSCS). On the social care side, the NSCS was established by L 2646/1998 as a merge of pre-existing social welfare organisations, such as the National Welfare Organisation, aiming at the provision of welfare services to all persons in relation to their particular personal, family, financial and social needs verified by means-tested procedures.
