Making palliative care work during the pandemic
WITH nightly news focused on COVID-19 case numbers and ‘R’ figures you would be forgiven for forgetting that while the health service tackles the pandemic, frontline staff continue to provide critical care.
During the last eleven months North West Hospice has continued to provide quality palliative care in the community within the constraints of a pandemic and it is not without its difficulties.
Here, the Community Palliative Care Team give an insight into how care has continued to be provided to people with life limiting illnesses in their homes, nursing homes and community hospitals across Sligo, Leitrim, West Cavan and South Donegal.
The team describe what they do as ‘a privilege’ as they are welcomed into homes, the life of the person and their family.
The service aims to offer symptom control and support to the patient and their family so they can live as fully as possible be this for days, weeks, months or years.
With COVID-19 bringing its challenges for families, including fear of the virus, travelling and visiting restrictions and loneliness, the team see it as important now more than ever to provide care.
The referral route to the community palliative care team in 2020 has remained unchanged from previous years. Patients with life limiting illnesses are referred to the team by their GP or Hospital consultant if that doctor thinks that they require help with physical, social and psychological issues. However, providing this quality care within the constraints of a worldwide pandemic has not been without difficulties.
Like all aspects of life these days, the way palliative is provided has had to change, in order to reduce the risks of COVID-19 transmission for patients, their families and the team.
The team has had to incorporate increased technology into work practices, replacing some face-to-face patient reviews with video calls.
Over the past few months patients, their families and the staff have adjusted to many changes and the new reality of social distancing.
“In the past when visiting homes, we would ring the doorbell, greet the patient and their families with a smile and a handshake. COVID-19 has meant we no longer shake hands and we arrive in an apron, gloves and a mask. However, our smile although not visible, is still present, and we have found that despite the extra protective clothing we can still form good relationships with patients and their families and provide symptom control and support.”
These are not the only changes the hospice has made.
“We have also had to adapt how we work in the office to reduce risk of transmission of COVID-19 among staff and patients. It has been quite challenging especially as the North West Hospice is an old building with limited space. But with ingenuity, cooperation, mask wearing and much hand sanitising we have created a socially distanced environment that offers good protection for all.”
While this has meant the team has been separated physically, they continue to come together to make the service work.
Irrespective of these changes or the level of lockdown in the country the team’s aim and focus of care remains unchanged. That is, to ensure all patients and their families continue to receive palliative care advice and support. There are restrictions for families and close relatives also when visiting their loved ones. Restrictive funeral arrangements regardless of whether the death is as a result of COVID-19 or not is also stressful on families.
The global pandemic has created universal challenges in healthcare. As a service, North West Hospice says it will continue to adapt to changes within the current COVID guidelines, ensuring that the palliative care needs of patients and their families are addressed remains their highest priority.