Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, more people with terminal illnesses have chosen to die at home or stay at home longer than they perhaps might have first planned.
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This has driven in increase in referrals to Ballarat Hospice Care, which now receives 30 to 40 referrals for care support each month and, in the first four months of this year alone, received 180 patient and family referrals.
"Anecdotally I think more people have died at home because they have preferred not to go to hospital at this time," said Ballarat Hospice Care chief executive Carita Clancy.
"We still work very closely with Gandara House (Ballarat Health Services) and the hospital but there has been an increase in the number of people who have died at home or chosen to stay at home longer."
In September last year Ballarat Hospice moved in to their purpose-built $7.7 million building on Sturt Street after years of calls for a new facility and fundraising from the Ballarat community who contributed $1.5 million to the Alfredton centre.
COVID-19 has delayed some of their plans but allowed the service to get a better understanding of how their new spaces will work.
The new hospice is a palliative care hub with counselling rooms, an education suite, clinic rooms, e-health technology, secure reception and equipment storage and better amenities for families and visitors including children.
"At the opening I said we wanted to share this space, but we haven't really been able to do that so far. It is wonderful to have everything we need, and private spaces with everything at hand so we can help care for patients and their families," Ms Clancy said.
"Our plans were to have more carer education, more counselling, more bereavement support groups and increase the skills of our volunteers in what they would like to contribute."
This week is Palliative Care Week.
"Palliative care is a gift. When patients, their carers and families work with palliative care specialists they are assisted to prepare for and talk about death. This means everyone is working together so that the patient receives holistic end of life care focussed on their preferences, values, dignity and comfort," Ms Clancy said.
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"We have seen many times that we remove the fear of death when we talk about it and plan for it as we would for other major events in life."
Palliative care can be provided at home, where most people prefer to do, or in a hospital, hospice, aged care facility or anywhere else a person has chosen to die, within reason.
Ms Clancy said palliative care was for people of any age who had a serious illness that cannot be cured and helped people with illnesses such as cancer, motor neurone disease and end-stage kidney or lung disease to manage symptoms and improve their quality of life.
Palliative care may also be beneficial from time of diagnosis for a person with a serious life-limiting illness.
Ms Clancy said Palliative Care Week was not just about raising awareness, but creating action.
"As it is Palliative Care Week, we encourage conversations with those who care for you to help ensure that your choices are respected," she said.
"One way to ensure that end of life care and preferences are understood and respected is to have an Advance Care Plan in place."
The process of an Advance Care plan encourages people to think about their beliefs, values and preferences regarding their current and future healthcare.
"We would love to see Advance care planning conversations considered a normal part of life and of an ongoing healthcare plan," she said.
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