Contacts
Contact:
Helen Meehan
Lead Nurse Palliative Care
Organisation:
Solihull Care TrustCommunity Nursing
Freshfields Downing Close Solihull West Midlands B93 0QA United Kingdom
Tel:
01564 732825
Email:
Case study:
11 May 2010
Development of ‘Comfort Care’ boxes for patients in the dying phase in Solihull
Key points
- Community nursing teams in Solihull have devised a ‘Comfort Care’ box containing standardised nursing supplies for patients who are dying
- The teams have now been issued with 40 boxes, with items such as continence pads and catheter packs, as well as 40 ‘Just in Case’ medication boxes
- The boxes are popular with patients and carers as well as the out of hours service.
Community nurses in Solihull have developed a nursing box containing a standard range of supplies as well as a ‘Just in Case’ box of medication for all patients who are dying.
The ‘Comfort Care’ box includes incontinence sheets, continence pads, a catheter pack, wipes, mouth care swabs, gloves and aprons.
The initiative, which emerged from a need identified by one of the community teams, has improved the consistency and availability of nursing supplies in patients’ homes.
The community teams also feel the boxes gave a more professional impression.
For patients and their families it has meant that supplies, anticipatory medications box and the care plan can be kept together in one place rather than in a number of different places.
The development has also been welcomed by the out of hours services.
Over the last year 40 comfort care boxes and the same number of ‘just in case’ boxes have been distributed to the 10 community nursing teams.
The boxes are large enough to hold the ‘Just in Case’ boxes and the patient care plan, so any community nurse or GP visiting can easily access relevant information and supplies.
The boxes are stocked ready for use at the community nursing bases, then taken out to an identified patient’s home when needed.
There is a protocol for use of the boxes, including a standard stock list as well as instructions for collection and cleaning.
Some teams have had difficulty finding somewhere to store the boxes in the community nursing bases.
However, all teams have managed to create space to store the boxes not in use. All the boxes are stackable.
All community nursing teams were consulted on what supplies should be standard stock for the boxes and a stock list with quantities was successfully agreed.
This will be reviewed annually.
The team also wanted a reduced package of continence supplies for the boxes.
The CT continence service agreed to a specific package for the boxes.
The teams have now put in a further bid for 20 extra boxes to cover the larger community nursing teams as well as for the community children’s team.
There has also been a bid for portable pressure relieving mattresses to be a stock item for the ‘Comfort Care’ boxes.
The working group will review the end of life care audit outcomes in the summer of 2007 and amend the ‘Comfort Care’ box stock list and protocol where required.
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