Topic 4: Preparing for the future
Objectives: To inform family carers about 1) potential future site-of-care options and 2) what to expect when a person is approaching death.
Due to the sensitive nature of the final topic and also because carers in each group will be at different stages of caring for their relative, the information relayed should be couched in general statements so as not to personalise the session. Carers also need to be made aware that everyone has a different experience of death and dying.
Introduce the case study – Tom and Mary. Ask participants to consider home care versus hospital care for Tom and Mary and also to reflect on any other concerns they think Tom and Mary might have and propose suggestions for addressing these concerns.
The content offered in Topic 4 will focus on:
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Site of care options (refer to pages 29-32 of the guidebook)
- The in-patient palliative care unit
- At home
- Hospital
- Residential aged care facilities.
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Care as death approaches (refer to Chapter 4 of the guidebook)
- Early signs to look for
- Common physical indications that death may be near
- Potential neurological side-effects/cognitive changes.
The following video is an example of a discussion around death and dying.
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Bereavement care (refer to page 54 of the guidebook)
- Reference to the Carer Kit about the local palliative care unit’s bereavement service.
PowerPoint slides 20-27 should be used when discussing this topic.
The following video provides some information about grief.
