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Presentation Description
Institution: NSW, Australia
Conference MC Jo Doran will speak with Joan Ryan about the Palliative Care and Homelessness project. Joan will share the critical points of the project and take us through some of the key issues that people experiencing homelessness face when it comes to the end of life.
Background: People who are homeless have a reduced life span compared with the general population but inequitable access to palliative care. Current mainstream health services lack awareness and flexibility required to support early and equitable access for palliative care for people experiencing homelessness. The point of entry into palliative care is often late, chaotic and unfortunately with only the end in mind.
Objective: To increase awareness of the unmet palliative care needs of people experiencing tertiary homelessness (living in boarding houses), in two Sydney local health districts that results in at least two direct contacts/referrals from community services between July-December 2022, from a baseline of zero.
Approach: Following the Stanford Medicine Center quality improvement process, our SPHERE PC-CAG project gap analysis included mapping of current referral pathways, a 'fish bone' analysis, and a unique local area map of socio-economic disadvantage. Identified key drivers included recognition of the complex needs of homelessness populations and focused relationships and linkages with key stakeholders. Targeted interventions included staff and key stakeholder education about palliative care, site visits to boarding houses and homelessness services and establishing a centralized point of contact for palliative care referrals including hospital and community services.
Findings: We surpassed our initial goal of two direct community referrals for people experiencing homelessness with palliative care needs, achieving 10 referrals by December, 2022.
Conclusions: Shifting referral pathways from within acute hospitals to community homelessness services who already have established relationships and knowledge of the unmet health needs of people experiencing homelessness, encouraged earlier access to palliative care services. Driving change and addressing the unmet palliative care needs of people experiencing homelessness can be achieved through structured quality improvement approaches, creative partnerships building on trust and connection with the homelessness services that already support homelessness needs in the community.
Presentation Themes: Driving stronger health care systems & Quality palliative care for diverse populations, both for consumers and service providers
Objective: To increase awareness of the unmet palliative care needs of people experiencing tertiary homelessness (living in boarding houses), in two Sydney local health districts that results in at least two direct contacts/referrals from community services between July-December 2022, from a baseline of zero.
Approach: Following the Stanford Medicine Center quality improvement process, our SPHERE PC-CAG project gap analysis included mapping of current referral pathways, a 'fish bone' analysis, and a unique local area map of socio-economic disadvantage. Identified key drivers included recognition of the complex needs of homelessness populations and focused relationships and linkages with key stakeholders. Targeted interventions included staff and key stakeholder education about palliative care, site visits to boarding houses and homelessness services and establishing a centralized point of contact for palliative care referrals including hospital and community services.
Findings: We surpassed our initial goal of two direct community referrals for people experiencing homelessness with palliative care needs, achieving 10 referrals by December, 2022.
Conclusions: Shifting referral pathways from within acute hospitals to community homelessness services who already have established relationships and knowledge of the unmet health needs of people experiencing homelessness, encouraged earlier access to palliative care services. Driving change and addressing the unmet palliative care needs of people experiencing homelessness can be achieved through structured quality improvement approaches, creative partnerships building on trust and connection with the homelessness services that already support homelessness needs in the community.
Presentation Themes: Driving stronger health care systems & Quality palliative care for diverse populations, both for consumers and service providers
