Beschreibung der Einrichtung

With a long and intense history, Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Aldeia Galega de Merceana was one of the first twenty institutions of the kind founded in Portugal, by Queen D. Leonor, in 1499, with its compromise was printed in 1520.

In the beginning, this institution was a small inn near the chapel of Nª Sr.ª dos Anjos, in the old village of Aldeia Galega da Merceana. In 1616 it was relocated to a good building in the square of the old village, taking care of sick people. Because of this, they asked Queen D. Catarina for the creation of an hospital in their headquarters.

It was donated then, to this institution, the convent of Santo Antonio de Charnais, in Merceana. Also, after many years of private ownership, the building of the Misericordia Church of the XVI century was donated to the Santa Casa da Misericórdia in 1995.

In its history, it has had many services, such as a Centre of Child Care (1946), a hospital, until the creation of a nursing home (1980), Medical Clinic (1989), Day Centre, Home Support Service (1997), and Centre of Free Time Activities (2003). In 1998, the expansion of the facilities of the institution was approved and inaugurated in May 24, 2001.

Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Aldeia Galega da Merceana is based in Alenquer Council and reaches different types of beneficiaries through its different features and activities.

1 - Education Action

*Nursery Rainha D. Leonor: develops wellbeing activities and development on a physically and emotionally safe environment for a group of 66 children aged between 3 months and 3 years old.

*Kindergarden: An educative project that believes in the education and development of 3 to 5 year old children, giving them a naturally balanced environment so they can build their future and develop their self-esteem, independence, creativity and critical sense.

*Occupational Center: develops school support and recreational-pedagogical activities, with a group of 20 students from schools

2 - Social Action

*Home Support - Offers personal health care services to individuals and families in need because of illness or disability, reaching up to 40 beneficiaries.

*Daily Center - Offers wellbeing services such as nourishment, laundry, personal hygiene, transportation, recreation activities; psychosocial support and fomentation of interpersonal relations, for a group of 25 senior citizens.

*Nursing Home - infrastructure with capacity for 71 senior citizens, with a set of services for elderly people, such as: Laundry / Refectory / Lounge / Sociocultural animation / Physiotherapy / Psychology / Social Services, among others.

*Food Bank: Food distribution to the most deprived families of the region, reaching up to 148 people every fortnight, including families and children.

*Social Integration Income (RSI)- Integration plan developed by a multidisciplinar, reaching 150 families in precarious social and economic conditions.

* Local Project of Social Developmeny (CLDS 3G – Inter//Ação): Activities development for the community in 3 thematical axes; Axis 1 – Employment, training and qualification, Axis 2 - family and parental action for the prevention of child poverty and Axis 3 - Community and institutions' capacity building.

*Local Network of Social Intervention (Rede Local de Local de Intervenção Social – RLIS): care and monitoring services for individuals or families in situations of vulnerability, social exclusion, or social emergency.

*Refugees Reception: became a refugee reception entity through a protocol established between União das Misericórdias Portuguesas and the Portuguese Government.

3 - Health
*Continuing Health Care - temporary or permanent internment of up to 30 chronically ill patients, with different degrees of dependency, in order to provide them with social support and Healthcare services.

*Clinic: Health facilities prepared for the provision of quality Healthcare to the community, by offering several medical specialties consultants and complementary diagnosis Exams.

Volunteers will be integrated in the different equipments and services, except the clinic.