Published: Wednesday, 9th December, 2009 5:20pm

Palliative care brought to a new level in hospital

North Westmeath Hospice and the Midland Regional Hospital at Mullingar are working together to make end-of-life care more comfortable and accessible with the opening of two state-of-the-art palliative care beds and adjoining suites last week.

The hospice movement has been very successful in promoting specialist, palliative end-of-life care for Cancer patients, however it is only in recent years that there has been an emphasis on shifting the knowledge for the care of those people to other health care settings.

According the Director of Nursing at Mullingar Hospital, privacy is closely aligned to dignity for patients in their final hours, and relatives who have a heightened need for privacy, can now avail of these two new rooms on Level Three of the hospital."People need private space where they can talk and if they wish they can comfort each other by following their instincts, belief and religion out of site and hearing for others, said Director of Nursing at the Hospital Ann Kelly at the opening last week.

"I am delighted to have the support of the specialist palliative care team working with our staff here at the hospital together with continued assistance of the North Westmeath Hospice and welcome the opening of this facility for end-of-life care in the Hospital," she continued.

Chairperson of the North Westmeath Hospice, Marie O'Brien said it was an extraordinary privilege to attend the official opening of two dedicated hospice care rooms and two family rooms in Mullingar Hospital.

"This has a history as most things do, on the 11 August, 1994, there was a public meeting held in the Greville Arms Hotel and branch steering committee formed to bring about these two palliative care beds and attached suits," said Marie O'Brien.

Those who were part of this committee right from the start were Sr. Anna Sloan, Maeve Clifford, Cathleen Coakley, Dr. Michael O'Donovan, Cathleen Leavy, James Hoey, Pat O'Rourke, the late Seamus Daly and Pat Cullen, Brian Lawlor and Virginia Pie, who all gave 15 years of dedicated loyal service to North Westmeath Hospice fundraising to the hospital and that is why we are here today," she continued.

"All that is North Westmeath Hospice culminates in these two rooms today. This is a fulfilment of a dream come true, of extraordinary voluntary initiative to get where we are today. We are aware of the excellence and care achieved recently by the staff here. We are all aware that the HSE is undergoing difficulties so this achievement is due only to the tenacity and determination and professional support of the staff in the Regional Hospital Mullingar."

Marie O'Brien went on to say that on behalf of all of the families who are about to pass through the two hospice rooms at the Midland Regional Hospital, she thanked all involved sincerely for the dignity and respect and comfort afforded them by this new facility."Our over-riding hospice goal as always is to cure occasionally, to relieve often and to comfort always," she finished.