The Southern Highlands Community Hospice (SHCH) has partnered with Palliative Aged Care Consultancy Services (PACCS) to continue providing funding of quality palliative care to patients throughout the Southern Highlands.
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SCHC director Peter Morris said end of life care at home is a far bigger responsibility than a lot of people understood.
"The partnership between PACCS and SHCH helps give volunteers an overview or a briefing on what is required or what is part of that process to support end of life care," he said.
"PACCS determines what services are required. This can be anything from the SHCH Pharmaceutical Rebate Service, equipment hire within the home, and most importantly, palliative care specialist nursing and carer support that includes SHCH trained volunteers."
As part of the new PACCS/SHCH partnership, a team of volunteers completed an extensive program of training based on the NSW Palliative Care Volunteer Support Services Programme, and will shortly commence volunteer work with Harbison Care.
The four-week course was delivered by experienced senior palliative care nurse Bronwyn Heron from PACCS.
The course ensured a thorough knowledge of palliative dynamics and how they evolve through an integrated Care Model as a team-based approach, a journey to share with the provision of quality of life for the patient and their family.
Volunteers looked at their roles and responsibilities in this journey, the guiding principles of unconditional acceptance, a supportive presence, and a need for an active listener.
Other sessions included Grief and Bereavement Support, Death as a Process, Suffering, Total Pain and Spirituality, Cultural Diversity and Self-care.
SHCH Secretary Sandra Hiscock said the training was a first for the Southern Highlands.
"The most important thing was that the training changed everybody's perception of death and dying," she said.
"We understand that all people we will be working with have their own stories and individual needs."
Sandra added the training sessions were very interactive.
"Harbison has made it their business to try and support people during their palliative care journey," she said.
Adding another layer of compassion and care to SHCH is the voluntary biography service.
The biography service helps preserve a lifetime of memories for future generations, putting together memories and photos of loved ones.
Biography coordinator Kate Fletcher said the service was about transcribing the person's words, not necessarily writing a story.
In the latest biography, Kate said the daughter of one of the residents said as if it was her mother talking through the book.
"It's very satisfying," Kate said.
SHCH has several services to help support people in need of palliative care.
That includes a Pharmaceutical Support Service to fund medications up to $5000 a year per patient. SHCH also funds the hire of palliative care equipment and specialist nursing support in both the home and partner aged care facilities.
The high-profile retail store, Timeless, that showcases pre-loved fashion, furniture and homewares, donated by the Southern Highlands community, provides the funding for all of the much-needed services delivered by SHCH, exclusively to patients in the Southern Highlands.
There will be future opportunities for community volunteers to SHCH where roles are available to work in the Timeless store or Palliative Care.
To access any of the SHCH palliative care services, contact: services@shchospice.org.au. or Phone: 0490 035 405
For more information on services provided by SHCH, visit www.shchospice.org.au.
Palliative Care Week will run from May 22 - 28 and is Australia's largest annual awareness-raising initiative held to increase understanding of the many benefits of palliative care.
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Vera Demertzis
Journalist at the Southern Highland News covering council yarns and community news. Got a tip or a story to tell? Email vera.demertzis@southernhighlandnews.com.au or call on 0427 250 908.
Journalist at the Southern Highland News covering council yarns and community news. Got a tip or a story to tell? Email vera.demertzis@southernhighlandnews.com.au or call on 0427 250 908.
