General News
11 July, 2024
Delivering blessings to end-of-life wishes
For many, caring for people at their most vulnerable day in, day out, often at or nearing the end of their life, wouldn't be comprehendible.
But for Maire Coffey, it's a big part of life and her passion.
Ms Coffey is a nurse practitioner in palliative care.
Originally from Ireland, Ms Coffey has been in Australia for about 12 years, including the past seven in Horsham.
"Palliative care is looking after patients who have a diagnosis we can't cure," she said.
"However, we can give them a good quality life in the time they have left, and that is our role.
"On a day-to-day basis, around 60 per cent of my patients have cancer and probably 40 per cent have conditions non-malignant like failure of their heart or lungs."
While admitting her job was challenging, she said it was also extremely rewarding.
"Being that person that is able to deliver care centred on the patient, deliver care how that person wants to be looked after, keeping their pain and symptoms as controlled as we can for as long as we can, they are positive things," Ms Coffey said.
"It seems like a morbid thing, but for people to get their end-of-life wishes is an amazing thing to be able to do for people."
Ms Coffey said to be the last person to care for or speak to people at their end of life was a privilege.
"For families of patients, it's important to get to know us before the patient is really sick, before they are catapulted into the worst time of their lives, because we want to be able to support them," she said.
Ms Coffey was an attendee at the Grampians Regional Palliative Care Team’s 2024 conference, held in early May.
The conference explored key factors and themes shaping the provision of palliative care.
Ben Kelly, Grampians Health chief operating officer hospitals, said the importance of palliative care cannot be overstated, especially considering our ageing population and the increasing complexity of healthcare needs.
"This conference provided an invaluable opportunity to reflect on our progress and learn from each other on how best to impart care," he said.
Ms Coffey agreed the conference was a fantastic initiative.
"We got to hear about intervention and pain relief," she said.
The conference, held ahead of National Palliative Care Week 2024, also focused on several themes such as inequalities and initiatives for ageing populations, psychosocial dimensions in palliative care, digital trends shaping palliative care and future innovations within the sector.