Community Reminders
- The Health Centre is open during the summer on Saturdays, 10-2 p.m. from July till the end of September. We welcome walk-ins or booked appointments, but are not able to provide lab services on Saturdays.
- If you have borrowed any equipment from the loan cupboard and are not using it, please return it to the Health Centre so others may use it.
- The Health Centre would welcome the donation of gently used medical equipment in good condition. However we are not able to accept any medical lifting devices or used breathing machines.
- September is our AGM. Please remember to renew your membership if you have not done so already. You do need to have a valid membership in order to vote at the AGM.
- Please try to make booked appointments at the clinic; we have become very busy and would hate to have to turn you away because we are fully booked.
Palliative Care Home Nursing
In March of this year I had the opportunity to attend a Palliative Care Medical Intensive Course in Vancouver put on by the Victoria Hospice Society. This wonderful course brought together 115 health care providers from all across the province. There were physicians, nurses, pharmacists and practical nurses participating. This course provided an increased awareness of, and sensitivity to death and dying issues. It educated us on specific medical and nursing skills in assessing and managing distressing symptoms associated with advanced disease. Palliative care is not only for cancer related illnesses but also includes organ failure such as heart, lungs or kidney, or neurological concerns such as stroke, severe dementia, ALS etc. Studies have shown that non-cancer related deaths do not receive adequate palliative care needed and hopefully we can continue addressing this concern.
Once a physician has made the medical decision that their patient’s condition is at a terminal stage, of a life -threatening disease or illness, the patient would qualify for the Palliative Drug Plan, and the Medical Supplies Equipment Benefit program. This helps remove the financial burden of prescription drug costs and selected over the counter needs for care and treatment at home.
Often the physician will refer the palliative patient to have a Home Care assessment done. Early referral allows us to connect and build a relationship with the patient and family. We typically come in to the home, do a history, assess the patient and see their support network. This gives us an opportunity to discuss the patient’s and family’s wishes for end of life care. Our goal in palliative care is to support people to die in the location of choice. When asked, many people prefer to die at home if the supports are there. On the Sunshine Coast our choices are somewhat limited. There are 2 lovely suites at Shorncliffe that provide comfortable living area that family can stay with their loved one, while receiving 24 hour nursing support. Saint Mary’s Hospital has one palliative bed that is also available.
If someone chooses to die at home we can arrange for equipment such as a hospital bed to be delivered to their home as well as any equipment that can borrowed from our loan cupboard to assist them.
Our team of nurses would communicate with the patient and family on a regular basis. We make sure the supports are in place and that the care giver is also managing with the arrangements. Sometimes symptom management is not well controlled and a back-up plan needs to be discussed such as a move into hospice or a palliative bed.
In working with the palliative patients in our community, I am aspiring to some goals to improve our delivery of care to this program. I would like to get the palliative volunteer program up and going again this fall. This could provide a wonderful service to the family and caregivers, giving them the much needed break, and knowing that their loved one is being watched and looked after by a trained volunteer. Secondly, I would like to see the start up of a bereavement support group where people who have lost a loved one can meet with others who have also experienced this. This group would be facilitated by a nurse and the mental health counsellor. I look forward to working with people in our community and am open to comments on getting this program in place.
Kathy Bergman, RN
Home Care Team Leader
