NSW: More resources needed for end-of-life care, nurse says

AAP General News (Australia)
02-13-2007
NSW: More resources needed for end-of-life care, nurse says

SYDNEY, Feb 13 AAP - More resources must be put into the care of terminally ill patients
to ensure they get the best possible treatment, the NSW Palliative Care Council says.

The comments follow reports that the death of an elderly woman at a Sydney hospital
is being investigated as a possible mercy killing.

Police say they are looking into the death of a 97-year-old woman at St George Public
Hospital on January 30.

NSW Palliative Care Council president Peter Cleasby said the community needed to assess
whether those approaching the end of their life were getting appropriate care.

"Our society desperately needs to start having a discussion about quality of care because
I would be remiss if I didn't observe that there is definitely a need for more resources
to be put into end-of-life care," Mr Cleasby told ABC Radio.

"As a society we have to say: are all people who are approaching the end of life getting
the best possible access to care?"

Mr Cleasby said the role of palliative care was to provide a peaceful death and his
organisation did not condone so-called mercy killings.

"Palliative care does not go (there)," said Mr Cleasby, who is also a palliative care nurse.

"Euthanasia is against the law and Palliative Care believes that they can provide quality
comfort for people before the end of life and at the end of life period without unnecessarily
hastening death."

Mr Cleasby would not comment on the case being investigated at St George Public Hospital,
but said those working in health care should be given more information about caring for
people who are approaching death.

"Health professionals often find themselves feeling helpless in situations of end of
life and helpless in situations where, perhaps, people are not being given the symptom
management and the quality of care that they should have," Mr Cleasby said.

"A lot of our colleagues out there are doing their best but they don't necessarily
know or have access to some better ways of doing care in this situation.

"It can be very very stressful, but with good information, good support and good understanding
of what constitutes best practice in palliative care, I believe most people can achieve
a good outcome."

AAP acb/klw/imc/cdh

KEYWORD: MERCY PALLIATIVE

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.