Residential Aged Care
Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering through early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial, and spiritual (World Health Organisation).
A palliative approach is not confined to the end stages of an illness; it provides a focus on providing comfort and actively reducing symptoms and distress and all health care providers can incorporate the palliative approach into their practice (Victorian Government Department of Human Services, 2009).
The Hume Region Aged & Disability Palliative Resource Nurse can provide support to RACF staff implementing the Palliative Approach within residential aged care facilities in the Hume Region. Support is provided for education, quality improvement, and supporting links with palliative care services. They aim to support and work together with Palliative Care Champions (or Link Nurses) in each facility to lead palliative care based on each facility’s unique needs.
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CHAMPION PROGRAMME
Each year, Sam and Rose present a Champion programme designed to equip you with the basics and to point you in the right direction on where to find all the information you will need while caring for your residents. This course runs from April to September each year and is fully online. While it is mostly self-paced, the monthly live mentoring sessions are highly recommended. And it’s FREE!
Contact Sam or Rose for more information and EOI.
Below are some useful websites for people working in residential aged care to source evidence-based palliative care resources to support quality improvement.
End of Life Directions for Aged Care (ELDAC) provides a toolkit with a comprehensive step-by-step guide to implementing an evidence-based palliative approach in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). It includes the elements of clinical care, education, and learning, organizational support.
palliAGED is the palliative care evidence and practice information resource for the Australian aged care sector.
CareSearch is a comprehensive resource of content pages, databases, and resources to support palliative care health professionals and palliative care patients, their carers, families, and friends.
Advance Care Planning Australia (ACPA) is a national program funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, enabling Australians to make the best choices for their future health and care.
For further information contact:
East Hume Aged & Disability Palliative Resource Nurse
Rose Sexton Ph: (03) 5722 5184
rose.sexton@nhw.org.au
West Hume Aged & Disability Palliative Resource Nurse
Samantha Moorhouse Ph: (03) 5735 8070
sam.moorhouse@seymourhealth.org.au