Fundamentals of Palliative Care training launched People working in aged residential care facilities across New Zealand will be given the opportunity to participate in palliative care training from October, when the Hospice New Zealand Fundamentals of Palliative Care education resource is launched. “We recognise the importance of working in partnership with our colleagues who are providers of palliative care which is why we have developed, with funding from the Ministry of Health, The Fundamentals of palliative care training resource. The series of
showed a need for consistent education programmes for generalist providers across the country. Nine packages have been developed by Hospice New Zealand, with input from aged residential care facilities. The packages
Each learning package has a self-learning component to be completed prior to the formal training sessions and a post learning evaluation to encourage reflection. 9 learning packages provides a range of tools and information to enable healthcare professionals in a range of settings – aged residential care, district nursing, GP’s, to confidently provide the very best care to people approaching the end of their lives.” Said Mary Schumacher, CEO, Hospice NZ. Educators from local hospices will run the courses in the same way they run the Hospice New Zealand Syringe Driver and Care Assistant education courses, but will co-facilitate some packages with expert aged care and gerontology educators where possible. The Ministry of Health funded the development of the courses after their national stock-take of palliative care provision in 2009
provide a range of tools and information to enable rest home staff to confidently provide appropriate care to residents who are approaching the end of their lives. Each learning package has a self-learning component to be completed prior to the formal training sessions and a post learning evaluation to encourage reflection. Pilot courses were run from May until July at North Haven Hospice - Whangarei, Arohanui Hospice – Palmerston North, Mary Potter Hospice – Wellington, Otago Community Hospice – Dunedin and Hospice Wanganui.
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