Palliative Care, it’s more than you think
As Palliative Care Week, 23 May – 29 May, approaches, we acknowledge Resthaven’s role in caring for older South Australians as they near the end of their lives.
The theme of this year’s National Palliative Care Week (23 – 29 May); ‘Palliative Care. It’s more than you think.’
Palliative care is not just about the last days of life. It can help people living with a life-limiting illness to live as well as possible, for as long as possible — supporting their physical, emotional, spiritual and social needs.
Resthaven was one of the first aged care providers to employ ‘in-house’ specialist palliative care clinicians. Nurse Practitioner, Peter Jenkin and Clinical Nurse, Karen Gregory provide specialist consultative services across our twelve residential homes as well as support many community clients.
We recognise the vital role of the many Resthaven staff and volunteers who contribute to this field of work. Nurses, personal care assistants, home support workers, coordinating chaplains, lifestyle staff, clerical staff, allied health, social worker, chaplains and volunteers together enrich the lives of older people and their families at this critical time.
This year, we also congratulate Karen, and Registered Nurse Claire Tan, for receiving prestigious Australian College of Nursing (ACN) scholarships to complete master’s degrees in palliative care in aged care at Flinders University.
‘Undertaking this post-graduate study will improve our ability to provide specialist clinical care, as well as mentoring and supporting staff,’ says Karen.
‘Palliative care is more than just about the very end of life.’
‘We need to ensure that our residents, clients and their families have the opportunity to take part in advance care planning, that we recognise clinical deterioration early to ensure goals of care are clarified and that end of life care meets the physical, emotional, spiritual and social needs of an individual.’
Established in 1935, Resthaven is a South Australian not-for-profit aged care community service associated with the Uniting Church in Australia.
Every day, Resthaven shares the lives and wisdom of older people and their carers, opening doors to the full range of aged care service options available.
Services are provided throughout metropolitan Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills, Murraylands, Riverland, Fleurieu Peninsula, lower Barossa region and the Limestone Coast of South Australia.