Program to facilitate wishes of dying

A national program will next week help Geelong nurses talk about death to older and chronically ill patients.
The national, federally funded program, Advance, is designed to introduce advance care planning into general practices in a sensitive and routine way.
The training will take place on 14 February at the Western Victoria Public Health Network office in Geelong.
Associate Professor Josephine Clayton, a specialist in Palliative Medicine, said the program filled an important gap in addressing the wishes of people who are nearing their death.
“Health professionals can feel uncomfortable discussing dying with their patients,” she said
“The training the nurses will receive through the program gives them the skills to start the conversations with patients with empathy, care and compassion.
Specifically, the program will focus on initiating a conversation about planning for future health care, particularly in case the person ever became too unwell to speak for themselves.
Associate Professor Clayton said nurses in general practices were ideally placed to provide a full supportive care needs assessment because of their relationship with their patients.