news
A fitting end
‘ Not working ’: Calls to embed palliative care into nursing homes
By Arshmah Jamal
The chief of Australia ’ s leading palliative care organisation has called to embed end-of-life services into aged-care homes after new data showed increased pressure on public hospitals .
Last month the Australia Institute of Health and Welfare ( AIHW ) reported that the number of palliative care-related hospitalisations has increased to 23 per cent over the past five years .
Palliative Care Australia chief Camilla Rowland said the numbers pointed towards a system-wide hospitalisation flaw . “ The level of hospitalisations are almost double ,” Ms Rowland told Aged Care Insite .
“ Instead of people receiving care in the community at home , they need to go to hospitals .”
The AIHW report found that the average length of a stay for palliative care was twice as long at an average of 10 days compared to five days for all hospitalisations .
“ Increased hospitalisations have a huge impact on the health system and point to people either not getting a choice they deserve or there isn ’ t enough investment ,” she said .
“ We know that palliative care is not embedded into the aged-care system .
“ People are finding more people are needing palliative care , especially the ageing population , and the communitybased system is not working .”
In the wake of recommendations handed down by the Aged Care Royal Commission , industry experts
“ There is a great
deal of positive and much-anticipated reform in aged care
are now assessing how to improve palliative-care access in residential aged-care homes .
The 12 recommendations in the final report targeted specific needs for palliative care to be more comprehensive .
“ There is a great deal of positive and much-anticipated reform in aged care ,” Ms Rowland said .
“ We are waiting for data to hopefully show an increasing access to palliative care for aged care residents .” “ It ’ s important we set in place systems , not just pilot projects , to make sure staff understand how to assist someone when they ’ re palliative ,” Ms Rowland said .
“ We need to make sure that staff know the signs when people are at different stages ; how to do symptom control and pain management , and also tend to people ’ s social , emotional , and spiritual needs .” ■
ENSURING QUALITY , SAFETY & SUSTAINABILITY : TRANSFORMING THE NDIS
Enhancing quality outcomes for current and future NDIS recipients
24 - 25 October 2023 Sydney & Online
The Honourable John Ryan AM , Royal Commissioner
4 agedcareinsite . com . au