Inpatient Psychiatric Unit for Intensive Rehabilitation Programs "La Luna"

 

History 

Much has been dreamt and written on the meaning of the Moon and its relationship with mental health and "lunacy" (the "moon sickness" of medieval tradition, the "lunatics" of Anglo-Saxon tradition and the "lunatic asylums" as care sites for "lunacy"). 

This rich patrimony was also recognized by Ludovico Ariosto, the great poet from Ferrara who imagined that Orlando, made insane by love, could find on the moon his wisdom distilled and preserved in a vessel. 

Another journey I must take you on

leaving the earth beneath us fast below

until we reach the circle of the moon -

the nearest of the planets, as you know,

the only means to cure Orlando soon

is hidden there and that is why we go (Orlando Furioso canto 34, LXVII)

 

A liquid thin and clear, Astolfo sees

distilled in many vases, large and small

which must (so volatile the fluid is)

be tighty corked (Orlando Furioso canto 34, LXXXII)

 

And through the breath (“psyche” is the Greek word for breath and "animus" in Latin), wisdom can be inspired and recovered, while awakening from sleep and entering a new life.

 

As one who wakes from a distressful dream

of gruesome monsters which could never be

however grim and menacing they seem

or of committing some enormity

and though his senses have returned to him

from his amazement cannot yet shake free,

so now Orlando, weakened from illusion,

remained in stupefaction and confusion (Orlando Furioso canto 39, LVII, LVIII)

 

Along this line of inspiration, the In-patients Psyhciatric Unit for Intensive Rehabiliation Programs (RP) "La Luna" was founded in 1992 to serve as a therapeutic community facility. Initially, the RP had only 10 beds whose purposes were to provide long-term rehabilitative services to patients with schizophrenia discharged from Psychiatric units. The care programs were geared towards training the patient to be self-sufficient in both the workplace and home environments.  Moreover, the patients were involved in social activities aimed at improving their interpersonal relations with others. 

In 1997, in the framework of a global reorganization plan of the Ferrara Mental Health Department, the structure was gradually transformed to accept patients suffering from a wider spectrum of psycho-pathological disorders.  The program was typically for a short period of time ranging from one to three months.  Through these programs the department acquired the characteristics of a real alternative to the conventional psychiatry ward.

 

How to reach the Unit

The Unit is located in Via Quartieri, 2 (Tel. +39 0532 235402, Fax + 39 0532-235437) and is linked to the Didactic Building of the Graduate Course of Rehabilitation Psychiatry.

 

Mission  

The structure pursues the following 5 goals:

  • to nurture and intensify the relationship between the patient and caring group with the objective of improving the patient’s health and guiding him or her towards self-autonomy;
  • to provide intervention in various forms ranging from psycho-diagnostic assessments, psycho-pharmacological treatment, and psycho-educational programs, including expressive therapy;
  • to establish a stronger relationship between the psychiatric team and the Physician of General Medicine (GP) with the aim of involving a wider network of individuals in the improvement of patient care;
  • to develop and implement project guidelines for psychiatric residents in Italy so that their projects may be sponsored by the RP.

 

Organization Documents

The RP "La Luna", a "non-hospital" structure with 17 beds, provides patient care 24 hours a day.  The staff consists of 15 nurses, a head nurse and 2 psychiatrists.  Others also include residents of the specialty school of Psychiatry and students in the Degree Course of Psychiatric and Psycho-social Rehabilitation attending the Section of Psychiatry of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Ferrara. Patient admission and discharge is carefully considered in accordance with a personalized program periodically verified by DSM operators, residence operators, patients and other influential figures. Patients typically remain for short to medium periods of time; that is, between 30 and 90 days.  The RFP appears more like a family setting than a hospital one; indeed, throughout the day the patient engages in both relaxing and entertaining activities, catered individually to his/her needs.  Participation in practical and recreational activities is also encouraged to test and improve one's own abilities and to foster a sense of autonomy.   

 

In recent years, patient needs and satisfaction with psychiatric care have been increasingly studied. This research has generated information useful for improving the quality of care and for implementing therapeutic programs based on evidence-based criteria and on patients’ subjective experiences. A relatively new research area is represented by studies exploring patient opinions on the benefits of treatment provided. This area of research has been studied in the Residential Psychiatric Unit belonging to the Section of Psychiatry.