Irish Hospice Foundation
Toolkit for Compassionate End-of-Life Care
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A person-centred approach to end-of-life care will involve: • Sensitive, open and honest communication and the provision of information - Use effective verbal and non-verbal communication.
- Recognise the possibility that the person is dying, and make sure that this is clear to the person, their carers, friends, and family and the staff (in keeping with the person’s will and preference). - Prepare them for the person’s death. • Physical care - assessment and management of distressing symptoms - Ensure the whole team are involved, including Specialist Palliative Care who may be required to support with complex symptom management. • Psychological care for the person and their relatives and friends - Direct the person to the appropriate resources available. - Be alert to their emotional needs and offer them regular opportunities to discuss their concerns. • Social care, spiritual care and complementary therapies - Provide spiritual care in keeping with the person’s will and preference. Remember spiritual care need not mean religious care. - Provide privacy for the person and those around them to have the social support they need. - ink about the environment, offer music, dim lighting, relaxation/massage therapies. - Informal care provided by family, friends, and neighbours.
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Bereavement support - Support the relatives and friends prior to, at the time of and after the death. - See additional resources on page 44.
Ideally, when a person is dying, consider:
The person’s needs: • To be comfortable • To feel that they are respected • To feel that they are at the centre of the care • To be included
Your role: • To keep the person at the centre of your care • To recognise that the person is dying • To be available to the person • To monitor and assess for signs of distress • To be available to others • To communicate clearly • To break bad news well • To listen • To allow for tears • To ensure the necessary team members are involved • To care for your colleagues
The relatives’ and friends’ needs: • To have their emotions acknowledged • To have their concerns addressed • To be listened to
• To have their say • To be listened to • To be honoured • To be supported • To have privacy
• To receive clear information • To be told the person is dying • To be included in care • To be linked with support services (social work, chaplain, etc.)
• To have clear information • To have their spiritual needs met • To be at peace • To have pain and symptoms managed
• To be supported • To have privacy • Time to say goodbye • Time to process what is happening
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