The power of 10
- Details
- Published on Wednesday, May 13, 2015
By Esther Krahn
Chairperson
The week of May 3-9 was designated National Hospice Palliative Care Week and its planners encouraged people to spread the message on the importance of quality hospice palliative care in our country, and talk to at least 10 people in one’s circle of connections about the importance and availability of palliative care services. In Canada today, only 16-30 per cent (depending on where one lives) of people who die have access to hospice palliative care and end-of-life services. The goal of good palliative care is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in care for persons approaching death, so that the burdens of suffering, loneliness and grief are lessened.
Receiving palliative care is not just for the final days or months of life. It is care that should begin when a life-threatening condition is diagnosed so that individuals and their families are supported as they manage the often complicated journey to the end of life. This can happen in a hospital setting, personal care home, at home or in the community setting. Advance Care Planning (advancecareplanning.ca) is a discussion guide about individual plans at the end of life, and is an excellent resource to begin the conversations about end-of-life matters. Both Palliative Manitoba and Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association strongly emphasize that euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are NOT part of palliative care practice. The use of ERIK (emergency response information kits) is also an excellent way of starting the thinking and conversations about end-of-life wishes, regardless of an immediate end-of-life illness. These are small kits of information a person keeps on one’s fridge which give directions to emergency response teams should an ambulance be needed at one’s home. These are available through Jean Young at Rivers/Rapid City Senior Services (204-764-0440) or Esther Krahn (204-328-7189).
In Rivers we are fortunate to have access to palliative care in a variety of ways. In 2001 The Garden Suite was established at Riverdale Health Centre. Although the rest of the hospital is dedicated to rehab services, we are always guaranteed the use of one room for palliative care. If you have a loved one in another hospital, a request can be made to have the patient admitted here for palliative care. We have a dedicated group of trained volunteers who are available to stay with the patient during the night times, to provide support and encouragement and allow the family to go home for some rest. This service can also be provided at the care home or in a private home. Palliative care allows the use of certain medications for care and comfort for a patient at home, at no cost to the patient approved through an application process. Our volunteers can also provide support and encouragement to families who have received the diagnosis of a life-threatening illness before hospitalization occurs, assist with doctor’s appointments or provide assistance to family members for appointments, and provide bereavement support after the death of a family member. We are responsible for the furnishings in The Garden Suite and recently, were involved with the planning and presenting of The Resilient Journey wellness day in Rivers. We are available to share information with any groups and individuals in Rivers about the need for advance care planning. If you are looking for information or books about end-of-life matters, we have a good selection of books and pamphlets available in The Garden Suite.
Rivers and Area Volunteer Palliative Care Committee hosts an annual fundraising event called Hike for Hospice. This year it will take place on Sunday, June 28. Watch for further announcements regarding this event. All donations received stay in this area and are used for ongoing training for our volunteers, furnishings, etc. for The Garden Suite.
Talking about end-of-life matters is never an easy conversation, but it is a very important one which helps prepare the way to navigate the difficulties that can arise when a loved one is struggling with a life-limiting illness. Through hospice palliative care, families can gain a better understanding of a loved one’s wishes, which can ease the way when there are difficult decisions to make. If you would like more information about palliative care, or would like some ideas to help in starting these conversations with your family members, please feel free to call me at 204-328-7189. If we all speak to at least 10 people about the services of palliative care, we will spread the message of the value of good care and, like the ripples in a pond, will help relieve suffering while improving the quality of living and dying.
