With roughly 50 aged care facilities in the catchment area that Peninsula Home Hospice (PHH) services, our partnerships with aged care providers are key to caring for all residents in our community, in their own homes.
As Australia grapples with the impending wave of aged care demands, the narrative of how we live, experience, and discuss dying is evolving. Projections indicate that by 2030, a significant percentage of Australians will require aged care services, underscoring the urgency for comprehensive solutions.
Julie Murphy, General Manager Clinical services highlights “We only get one chance to die well. It’s imperative that we equip our aged care facilities with the necessary tools and knowledge to ensure dignified end-of-life experiences.”
The Community Palliative Care in Aged Care (CPiAC) project, funded by the Federal Government commenced in late 2023 which came about from the recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care handed down in 2021.
Under the funding agreement, PHH set out with a plan and employed two staff, a specialist Palliative Care Nurse and Counsellor Case Worker, specifically to support this project, along with expertise from our Specialist Palliative Care Physician Dr Lizzy Gaiscoigne.
This project focused on active engagement with specific Residential Aged Care Facilities through conducting monthly Palliative Care needs rounds (PCNR) where specific residents who may require palliative care were discussed.
These sessions were crucial to trust and learning, they became powerful partnerships. They not only provided an opportunity for the residential aged care facility team to have direct access to specialist palliative care staff to discuss residents but also allowed for education which has increased the confidence of staff when supporting a resident who may be palliative. [Source: PHH CPiAC Survey results]
In total, seventeen (17) residential aged care facilities participated in the project. With the project and Palliative Care Needs Rounds ending at the end of 2025, PHH will continue to receive and encourage referral to PHH from all Residential Aged Care Facilities within the PHH catchment for those residents who may require specialist palliative support.
We look forward to providing further information once the formal evaluation is completed.
If you have interest in knowing more about this program, please contact us on 5973 2400 or email admin@peninsulahospice.com.au
Pictured right: Key members of the CPiAC team, Daniel Shaw Counsellor Case Worker and Tania Bhasin Specialist Palliative Care Nurse.
