Island health-care providers get palliative care training

Over 140 health-care providers have received palliative training to increase the quality of care for Islanders and their families.

These health care professionals took part in a two-day training program with Learning Essential Approaches to Palliative Care in Summerside, recently.

Palliative care consists of medical providers who can support their clients and families with understanding their illness and treatments, emotional and spiritual support and long-term caring options, such as if a patient would want to stay at home.

Pallium Canada, a national non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care in Canada, has partnered with Health P.E.I. in giving the training to Island professionals.

Dr. Mireille Lecours, a provincial palliative care medical consultant with Health P.E.I., said there is a need to offer standardized training to as many professionals as possible.

“As we work toward making palliative care services more available to Islanders, we need to increase the knowledge of our health-care providers, including physicians and front-line staff of the special care required for our palliative care patients.”

Jeffery Moat, chief executive officer at Pallium Canada, said the organization is happy to see provincial interest and support in training medical providers with this method of care.

“Pallium was thrilled that Health P.E.I. identified its annual conference as an opportunity to train a large contingent of health-care professionals and increase their comfort and confidence in providing high-quality palliative care.”