H.M. Drottningens tal vid invigning av centrum för palliativ vård vid officiellt besök i Litauen

It is an honour to inaugurate Addere Care’s new nursing and palliative care centre here in Vilnius, inspired by the Swedish model of person-centred care and your long-standing connection with the Silviahemmet initiative in Lithuania.

I am very pleased with the progress I have already seen at your hospital in Trakai, where you are working to move away from institutional care and instead base your approach on each person’s unique strengths and needs.

As you now open your new centre outside Vilnius, Silviahemmet has supported the process from initial idea to inauguration – contributing advice on both the design of the building and the development of care and staff training.

Ladies and gentlemen,

One of the most important tasks in dementia care is to reduce stigma. A person living with dementia must never be seen only through their diagnosis, but recognised as an individual with unique memories, needs and a fundamental right to be respected.

I am glad to see that the Silviahemmet care philosophy is taking root here in Lithuania through the work of Addere Care, and that these principles are reflected in your daily practice.

It is equally important to encourage nurses and nursing assistants to take initiative and to serve as role models. They are working closest to those receiving care, and their attentiveness and dedication shape the quality of everyday life. I am pleased to see that Addere Care shares this belief.

Ladies and gentlemen,

This new centre is an important milestone. It is not only a building, but a vision made tangible, a place where care is shaped by professional knowledge and by the soothing surroundings – light, calmness, and time for each individual.

It shows that nursing and palliative care can be both highly professional and deeply human, that care environments can move from isolation towards openness, participation and meaning.

Let this centre stand as a reminder of what can be achieved when knowledge, compassion and commitment come together.

I wish you continued success in your work, and I hope that this centre will make a real difference for everyone who comes here.

Thank you.