Palliative Care

Palliative care:

From Latin palliare meaning to cloak) is an area of healthcare that focuses on relieving and preventing the suffering of patients. Unlike hospice care, palliative medicine is appropriate for patients in all disease stages, including those undergoing treatment for curable illnesses and those living with chronic diseases, as well as patients who are nearing the end of life.

Palliative medicine utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to patient care, relying on input from physicians, pharmacists, nurses, chaplains, social workers, psychologists, and other allied health professionals in formulating a plan of care to relieve suffering in all areas of a patient’s life. This multidisciplinary approach allows the palliative care team to address physical, emotional, spiritual, and social concerns that arise with advanced illness.

Palliative care:

provides relief from pain, shortness of breath, nausea, and other distressing symptoms;
affirms life and regards dying as a normal process;
intends neither to hasten nor to postpone death;
integrates the psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care;
offers a support system to help patients live as actively as possible;
offers a support system to help the family cope;
uses a team approach to address the needs of patients and their families;
will enhance quality of life;
is applicable early in the course of illness, in conjunction with other therapies that are intended to prolong life, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Palliative care and children

Palliative care for children is delivered differently from the palliative care services for adults. Many children requiring palliative care have life-limiting conditions, as opposed to advanced terminal conditions and children may survive for many years with these life-limiting conditions.

Where children need palliative care it is usually provided at home. In the home, the family is supported by their family doctor, public health nurse and the specialist palliative care team (where available). The medical and nursing care of children in hospitals is the responsibility of paediatric-trained medical and nursing staff, with support from the specialist palliative care service.

What does the Irish Association for Palliative Care do?

Established in 1993 as an all island body with the purpose of promoting palliative care nationally and internationally, the Irish Association for Palliative Care (IAPC) is a multi-disciplinary membership organisation.

The membership reflects the entire spectrum of all those who work in or have a professional interest in the provision of palliative care, i.e.,doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains and pastoral carers, pharmacists, psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therpaists, dieticians, as well as executive staff and academics and educationalists. Membership also includes clinicians and allied health professionals working in related areas such as geriatrics, oncology, psycho-oncology, paediatrics, and pain management.

As a sole membership organisation for those involved in the provision of palliative care, the IAPC is the primary collective and expert voice for palliative care in Ireland.

The core objectives of the IAPC are to:

strengthen the capacity of the palliative care sector through developing the professional capacity of individuals
promote the palliative care agenda through the Association’s collective and expert voice
drive patient-centred, equitable and accessible palliative care for all who need it through utilizing the Association’s expertise to influence and shape national policy.

For more information on IAPC please go to http://www.iapc.ie/index.php

Caregiver Advice

Older People in Residential Care Settings – Results of a National survey of staff-resident interactions and conflicts

This study examined interactions and conflicts between staff and residents in residential care settings, and identified both the prevalence and predictors of neglect and abuse of older people receiving care in these settings.

In the report Protecting Our Future it was recommended that, following its establishment, the National Centre for the Protection of Older People should identify ‘current practices in residential care that result in the abuse of older people’ (Working Group on Elder Abuse 2002: 22). This report is part of the process of enacting that recommendation. With the support of the Health Service Executive, the National Centre for the Protection of Older People (NCPOP) undertook a national survey of staff in residential care homes in Ireland.

The aims of the study were:

To measure the extent to which staff working in residential settings experienced conflict with residents.
To measure the extent to which staff working in residential settings were mistreated by residents in their care.
To measure the extent to which staff working in residential settings observed the neglect and abuse of older people.
To measure the extent to which staff working in residential settings engaged in the neglect and abuse of older people in their care.
To identify factors associated with the neglect and abuse of older people in residential settings.

To view the executive summary please click Older People in Residential Care Settings Executive Summary

To view the full report please click Older People in Residential Care Settings Executive Summary

Caregiver Advice

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Caregiver Advice

DKIT launch MSc. in Ageing, Health and Environment

We welcome the announcement that the Dundalk Institute of Technology has launched an MSc. Degree in Ageing, Health and Environment. Innovation and education are the cornerstones to ensuring we continue to enhance and provide a positive aging experience for those in our community.

myhomecareie.wpengine.com carers and nurses specialise in the provision of older person services in the North East region and nationwide, assisting the older person to remain living independently in the comfort of their own home.The up-skilling of personnel who care for the older person in the community is essential; as a result these courses are fundamental to ensuring our older community continue to receive the care and attention they deserve.

“The programme philosophy stems from the beliefs that ageing is a positive life event and that older people benefit when communities and older people services are designed to be age friendly”.

Applications for The MSc in Ageing, Health and Environment are now sought from healthcare professionals and individuals who are involved in the delivery, management and/or planning of services for older people. The closing date for applications for the September 2012 intake is July 13th 2012. Further information on the programme and application process is available at www.learn.ie.