Introduction

Caring@home promotes effective symptom management for end-of-life care, by empowering and educating carers to safely prepare and administer subcutaneous medications. Patients and carers receive effective and timely symptom management to meet goals of care. 

Background 

ISLHD Palliative Community Nursing cover regional and rural areas. Caring@home was introduced in 2019 to support carers with end of life symptom management in the home.

Caring@home was led by Brisbane South Palliative Care Collaborative (2018-2021). Consumer resources are available for CALD and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.

ISLHD’s procedure and education program support Registered Nurses to implement caring@home. Education includes theory and practical.

The practical session engaged consumers to represent carers to prepare and administer subcutaneous medications. Nurses reflect on their individual communication and education style and use teach back method to assess carer/novice competency assessment.

The interactive workshop received excellent evaluation. Post implementation carer surveys validate the effectiveness of the program.

The CNE team continue to support nurses who provide caring@home training. 

 

Aims/Objectives

To challenge attitudes, beliefs and barriers of community nurses toward carer administration of subcutaneous medication for end of life care in the home. Empowering the carer to safely administer medication for timely symptom management.

Key learning outcomes

·        Caring@home improves the quality of palliative care in the community 

·         Meeting patient goals of care to manage end of life symptoms in the home 

·        Carers ability to recognise symptoms to advocate and provide person centred care

·        Provide Nurses with a risk management approach to safely educate carers in administration of subcutaneous medication 

·        Improve Nurses communication skills through consistent language and validated resources to teach carers

Proposed methodology

Three facilitators will run a 90 minute interactive workshop in the following format: 

·        Theory and Practical session

·        Maximum 45 participants, with smaller groups for practical session

·        Participants will attend simulated carer training 

·        Provide take home resources 

·        Questions/evaluation

Participants gain skills and knowledge in:

·        Practical teaching skills 
·        Overcoming challenges with:

         Carer stress, dexterity and  health literacy

·        Recognising different learning styles, adult learning principles

·        Reflective practice

·        Medication safety at home