Specialist palliative care team launches guide for life-limiting illnesses in Guernsey
- Guernsey’s Specialist Palliative Care Team has released a new guide to aid residents.
- The guide provides information on care options, benefit entitlements, and more.
- It offers practical advice tailored specifically to the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
- The team includes various specialists dedicated to holistic patient support.
- Residents can access the guide online and self-refer or be referred to the care team.
Guernsey’s Specialist Palliative Care Team has introduced a comprehensive guide aimed at assisting islanders who are diagnosed with a life-limiting illness.
Titled the ‘Guide to Palliative and End of Life Care in the Bailiwick of Guernsey’, this resource seeks to enhance understanding regarding available care and support options locally.
The guide encompasses a range of topics intended to provide practical information for individuals facing a life-limiting diagnosis. This includes discussions around care options, entitlements to benefits, and the importance of making a will, among other considerations tailored to the specific context of Guernsey.
The Specialist Palliative Care Team comprises Palliative Care Associate Specialists, Clinical Nurse Specialists, a Specialist Occupational Therapist, and a Palliative Care Social Worker.
Their collective expertise enables them to deliver holistic care throughout a patient’s illness, as well as during end-of-life care and bereavement. The team’s focus is on improving the quality of life for both patients and their families, encompassing symptom management and provision of emotional and financial support.
Catherine Whetstone, a Palliative Care Nurse, said: “The Palliative Care team looks after people with various incurable illnesses including organ failure and cancer. Some people can live with an incurable illness for years, others for months or weeks.”
She added: “Our goal as a team is to support people to live as well as possible, for as long as possible.
Whetstone acknowledged the difficulty many have in discussing death and dying.
“But there are many reasons to have these conversations. It allows you to plan ahead and share your wishes with those closest to you, reflecting on what is important to you.
"We hope our new guide will provide helpful resources to empower people to start these vital discussions.”
Residents can access the guide online at gov.gg/PalliativeCare. Referrals to the Specialist Palliative Care Team can be made by healthcare professionals or through self-referral. The team can be contacted directly at 01481 223900 for further assistance.
Comments ()