Palliative Care
Posted by Bill Molesworth
Doug introduced Katherine Root, the Palliative Care Co-ordinator at PGH.
Katherine thanked Rotary for inviting her and for their support over the years. She said that the program is offered at both hospitals. Dame Sicily Saunders developed the hospice concept with the intent that people would be allowed to die peacefully but that they would also be able to live until they died. Palliative care used to concern just a patient's last few weeks, but now the team links with the patient and the family from the diagnosis.
PGH has 6 beds dedicated to this care and a team that includes the physician, a dietician, a chaplain, and the family, among others. They offer pain and symptom management, recovery and strenghening, with the intent to get a patient home if possible and to link them to the support services that are available. If not, they do have terminal care.
There is a waiting list, which means they have to be very careful making an assignement.
She displayed some photos of the facility, the chapel, the solarium, the common room and courtyard and the rooms. Of course, the main thing contributing to the success of such a service is the staff and Ms. Root says they are very fortunate to have such a committed a caring group.
They started a small lecture series every second Tuesday and it was so well received that it is now delivered by Av to half a dozen institutions in the County.
Yvonne said she was very grateful to the staff and the service because of the wonderful way they had worked with her father in his last days. Mike Scherloski offered the thanks of the Club for the presentation and the insight into the service.
PGH has 6 beds dedicated to this care and a team that includes the physician, a dietician, a chaplain, and the family, among others. They offer pain and symptom management, recovery and strenghening, with the intent to get a patient home if possible and to link them to the support services that are available. If not, they do have terminal care.
There is a waiting list, which means they have to be very careful making an assignement.
She displayed some photos of the facility, the chapel, the solarium, the common room and courtyard and the rooms. Of course, the main thing contributing to the success of such a service is the staff and Ms. Root says they are very fortunate to have such a committed a caring group.
They started a small lecture series every second Tuesday and it was so well received that it is now delivered by Av to half a dozen institutions in the County.
Yvonne said she was very grateful to the staff and the service because of the wonderful way they had worked with her father in his last days. Mike Scherloski offered the thanks of the Club for the presentation and the insight into the service.