Updates at the hospital

THANK YOU FROM THE PALLIATIVE CARE TEAM
AMHERST, NS (October 2, 2009) The Cumberland Health Authority’s Palliative Care Program provides a coordinated, multi-disciplinary team approach to support patients and their families who are dealing with a life-threatening illness. The program involves consultation nurses who spend their time both in hospital and in communities working as part of a team that includes a palliative care physician as well as pharmacists, social workers, home care workers, VON & pastoral care.

This team develops care plans to ensure appropriate services are in place with the goal of providing a combination of physical, psychological, spiritual and social care to individuals in their homes and in hospital. Consult nurses strive to provide expert level support to home care nurses and caregivers including pain and symptom management.

For those whose needs are too great to be met at home, the team works to facilitate a smooth transition from home to hospital.

The CHA Palliative Care Team:  (Front row from left) – Dawn Fage – Pharmacist; Terri-Lynn Smith – Social Worker; Sharon Skinner – Palliative Care Administrative Support; (Back row from left) Martha Underwood – Palliative Care Consult Nurse (Pugwash area); Jenetta Hunter – Palliative Care Consult Nurse (Amherst area); Marjorie Fisher – Continuing Care Coordinator;  Cindy Oickle – Palliative Care Consult Nurse (Springhill area); Lisa Mills – Palliative Care Consult Nurse (Parrsboro Area); Dr. Carolyn Atkinson – Physician Palliative Medicine; David Myles – Spiritual Advisor; Holly Chapman – Cancer Navigator.  Missing from photo:  Beth Reid – Palliative Care Consult Nurse (Advocate area)

The “Palliative Care Fund” of the Cumberland Health Care Foundation has been designed to provide additional needed funding for the Palliative Care Program.  It funds such things as equipment, services, training and a variety of other items required to enhance palliative care services for patients and their families.

The Foundation is responsible for the collection & receipting of all donations and provides support at the regional hospital level and in the community.  Requests for usage of the Palliative Care Fund come directly from the Palliative Care team. 

Donations made to the Palliative Care Fund have helped enable the following purchases over the past several years:

• 2004-2005 Purchases = $22,751: Syringe Drivers, free-standing oxygen cylinder holders, Spanko mattress Pads, Spanko booties
• 2005-06 Purchases = $10,950  Invacare Mattress, Patient & Family Recliners, PM-50 Pulse Oximeters, televisions, DVR/VCR & Entertainment Stands
• 2007-08 Purchases = $1,485 lockboxes for syringe drivers
• 2008-09 Purchases = $45,541 Syringe drivers & lockboxes, Versacare beds, Duo therapy mattresses, televisions & portable stands, lamps, dishes & sundries, Oxygen concentrators, patient-assist lift chairs
• 2009-10 Purchases approved to date = $32,400  Sleeper Chairs, two additional Palliative Care beds, wheel chair comfort pads