The Palliative Care Unit at Cabrini Health Malvern (Cabrini Health PCU) has introduced monthly drop-in sessions for nursing staff to discuss real-world case scenarios, challenging conversations, and terminal care.
These sessions aim to provide crucial support and education, garnering significant interest from staff across various wards who are keen to learn more about palliative care.
In addition to the drop-in sessions, during National Palliative Care Week the Cabrini Health PCU team developed and displayed posters around the palliative care ward and throughout the hospital. These posters feature team members and highlight their roles in providing high-quality palliative care.
Cabrini Health Malvern Palliative Care Nursing Team
Sharmalie Wijesinghe, a palliative care educator, emphasizes ongoing education to ensure high-quality care for patients, their families, and carers. She believes in holistic palliative care, viewing patients as individuals with extraordinary lives beyond their diagnoses.
The doctors at Cabrini Health PCU work holistically with patients and their families to improve their quality of life through symptom control, empowering patients to make important end-of-life care decisions.
Cabrini in-patient and community nurses focus on person and family-centered care, delivering compassionate support that addresses the physical, emotional, social, cultural, and spiritual needs of individuals.
Music therapy at Cabrini Health PCU is tailored to patient preferences, whether through passive listening to music or active participation in creating personalized playlists and legacy works.
Frances Bhathal, a social worker in allied health, explains that palliative care involves medical and psychosocial interventions to alleviate pain and distress, aiming to improve the quality of life for patients and their families, delivered with compassion and aligned with patient wishes.
These initiatives are an example of some of the fantastic activities during National Palliative Care Week 2024.
For further information please contact:
Sharmalie Wijesinghe
Paliative Care Educator,
Palliative & Supportive Care Service
Cabrini Health, Malvern
Mobile: 0424 756 424
Email: swijesinghe@cabrini.com.au