Palliative Care Week 2017 takes place from September 3rd to 9th. The focus for Palliative Care Week 2017 is to raise awareness about the difference that palliative care can make to the lives of patients, families and carers.
There were a series of videos produced which outline the experiences of those who have engaged with palliative care and the difference that it made. You can click here to watch the videos.
There has also been research published during Palliative Care Week which found that ‘four out of five people think palliative care can only be provided by specialist palliative care teams’. It also found that ‘almost one third of people think palliative care is only available in a hospice or hospital’.
Speaking about Palliative Care Week, Karen Charnley of the AIIHPC said: “Our aim for Palliative Care Week is to encourage people to think about their understanding of palliative care and to encourage them not to be afraid to ask their GP or any other healthcare professional if palliative care could help them or someone they love. People tend to associate palliative care being for people with advanced cancer but it’s equally important if you’re living with advanced heart or lung disease, kidney failure and other conditions such as motor neurone disease or dementia.”
Jim Daly T.D., Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People, is supporting Palliative Care Week. Minister Daly said: “I was delighted to hear about Palliative Care Week and the work of AIIHPC during a visit to Marymount University Hospital & Hospice, Cork. It is important for people to be aware of the support that is available to make the most of life when they have a live-limiting illness. Through our National Clinical Programme for Palliative Care, and by supporting Palliative Care Week, our aim is to increase awareness and understanding of palliative care, and support those who need this care.”
We hope that Palliative Care Week 2017 is a great success and helps to raise awareness about the difference that palliative care can make to the life of patients, their loved ones and carers.