LOVE & STEEL A PERSONAL REFLECTION

ANN HAYES CNM3

END OF LIFE CARE

anng.hayes@hse.ie

SLIGO REGIONAL HOSPITAL

St. John’s Community Hospital

Complaint to the Ombudsman

Complaint initiated in December 2002

by members of a family whose father died

in January 2000.

Ombudsman Report Published in 2005

Ms Emily O’Reilly

Issues

• Porters/Multi-Task Attendants

–Poor Communication

–No Induction / Education regarding Dying, Death & Bereavement

–Mortuary facility and mortuary trolley

–Public route to Mortuary

• Nurses:

– Privacy ,space and respect

– Communication/Breaking Bad News

– Education

– Multi-Cultural society

– De-Briefing post a death

– Mortuary trolley

Issues

• Car Parking Attendants:

– Unauthorized car parking:

Set down spaces full

• Consultant:

– Space, privacy, respect

– Sympathy cards

– Appointments following R.I.P.

– G.P Contact - information following deaths in community and vice versa

– Standards/ guidelines

– Breaking bad news

Issues

• Health Care Assistants/Catering & Household staff

– Communication/Education

– Respect: No facilities for bereaved families

– Privacy: Mortuary trolley

– Lack of Empowerment

• Mortician:

– Space: No facilities for grieving family to view body

– Undertakers unable to turn hearse

Sligo: Consultant’s Room

Family Handover Bag

End of Life Symbol

Route to Mortuary

Quality Standards & National Audit

Palliative Care Conference Scotland -Kate Bree 17

To quote from Emily O’ Reilly ”That you can make sure, in so far as you can ever be 100% sure that this won't happen again?”