Healthy aging –and palliative and end of life care –an oxymoron??

Dr Sharon Ryan

Clinical Lead, HNELHD Palliative and End of Life Care Clinical Stream

Paediatric Palliative Care Staff Specialist, John Hunter Children’s Hospital

Objectives

Health and dying – not incompatible concepts

Your thoughts on a new Project

Care of the imminently dying is urgent care

Your thoughts?

What are the components of health in aging?

Is peace of mind part of being healthy?

What might give peace of mind to an aging person?

The Alliance

Hypotheses

There are excellent resources to support last days of life care

BUT need to recognise when a Resident is dying

This recognition is inconsistent

AIN’s/Personal care assistants may be best placed to recognise

BUT staff may lack confidence / process to communicate this

The RACF Project

Develop a model of care in relation to last days of life in RACFs that will be used

Built from stakeholder consultation

Broadly representative

Consultation Group Aged care palliative nurse

practitioners Jacqui Culver (Anglican Care)

Milly Sneesby (DoPC RACF consult service)

Jacqui Hewlitt (Formerly ACE program)

Alison Bowman ( TinoneeGardens / PhD Candidate)

ACE Program Roslyn Barker CNC

General Practice : PHN + Dr Julie Malinson (Palliative GP VMO)

Sharon Lewis – Hospital Aged Care Liaison

Janean Cole – Facility management

Dr John Ward – Geriatric medicine, dementia

Anna Brown – NSW ambulance

Specialist Palliative Care

What will the challenges be?

Possible Project Outcomes

Fewer transfers to hospital at EOL

Greater utilisation of existing resources

Peace of mind – residents and families

Healthy dying??

Final thought

Improving care at EOL in RACFs is urgent and is in everyone’s best interests