Contacts
Contact:
Jill Dickenson
Specialist palliative care nurse Care homes
Organisation:
Bassetlaw PCT
Retford Hospital North Road Retford Notinghamshire DN22 7XF United Kingdom
Tel:
01777 274400
07970 027052
Email:
Case study:
11 May 2010
Specialist palliative care nurse for care homes in Bassetlaw
Key points
- Formalised links to specialist palliative care staff can help care homes improve end of life care
- Setting up palliative care link nurses within each care home can help maintain improvements in end of life care and up-to-date information sharing
- Together these initiatives can help staff feel competent in maintaining residents in care homes while they are dying, so reducing the need for hospital admissions
Care homes (nursing and personal care) in Bassetlaw are now receiving end of life care training as a result of the appointment of a specialist palliative care nurse for the area.
The post, which has been funded by end of life care monies for three years, is now in its second year and means the local primary care trust has been able to offer training and education within the care homes, which is much more practical than holding centralised meetings.
As a result over 60% of homes have so far taken part in the end of life care training programme, which aims to promote a more coordinated approach to care management as well as fewer admissions to hospital.
At the end of the first year there had been a reduction in hospital admissions.
A palliative care link nurse group has also been set up to encourage liaison between community and care home staff.
Initially this applied only to care homes (nursing) staff but it is hoped it will soon be extended to care homes (personal care) as well.
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