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Our guest speaker on Tuesday was Tania Tellus, Director of Nursing at The Forrest Centre, Palliative Care Center. Tanya started her speech about the Palliative Care Hospice stating that everyone has probably had a personal experience with Palliative Care. Palliative Care is not limited only to patient care but also involves the family. She noted that the entire experience is very confronting and support is needed. Some of the bigger challenges in palliative care are bedsores and pain management. Key objectives are to provide the patient with comfort and dignity. Once the hospice is up and going, they will have Registered Nurses, Enrolled nurses and personal carers. Pastoral care workers are available after hours and on weekends. Part of the objective includes sensitivity to cultural differences. The staff organise and participate in round table discussions with the family to outline support routines and provide information. They have a volunteer program if anyone is interested. There will be training sessions to give people the necessary background. The hospice rooms are large and geared for relatives to stay overnight., including a kitchenette and lounge chairs that make into beds. The official opening is planned for the 15th of September and the facility is at 6 Lewisham Avenue. The Hospice will have ten beds and is open to the public. Tanya also mentioned a Fund Raiser Movie Night that is scheduled for Thursday, September 13th with Ewan McGregor starring in movie “Christopher Ryan” at 7pm. Tickets are available from the Forrest Centre Reception or calling 0407 289 805. Paul Milde gave a vote of Thanks and President James added a bit of history about Ethel Forrest and Tony Ireland’s effort to raise money for the centre over a two year period. |