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Updated 3.30pm
THE JOINT COMMITTEE on Health and Children today launched a report today on end-of-life care and palliative care in Ireland.
The report’s publication follows a public consultation process and a series of committee hearings on the issues surrounding end-of-life care.
Late last year, the committee met with a range of stakeholders and experts, including The Irish Hospice Foundation, the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology, the Irish Palliative Medicine Consultant Association, the Voluntary Hospices Group, and the Irish Childhood Bereavement Network.
Sharon Foley, CEO of the Irish Hospice Foundation, told the committee at the time that every year 29,000 people die, leaving an estimated 290,000 people bereaved. She also said the spend on palliative care in Ireland is “largely unplanned and uncoordinated”.
Dr Paul Gregan, palliative care consultant and GP, also emphasised the importance of considering care “from a physical, psychological, social and spiritual perspective”.
“Care of the imminently dying is a smaller but extremely important part of what palliative care is about; much as care in pregnancy is not all about the birth, palliative care is not all about dying,” he added.
The report makes a number of recommendations including the development of a national strategy on palliative care, end of live and bereavement for the health sector as evidence suggests that expenditure in the health budget may be as high as €1.3 billion a year.
“A strategic approach would – at the very least – ensure that we spend our €1.3 billion in a more planned and focussed way,” the report says.
The committee report also points to disparities which exist in the provision and funding of specialist palliative care services in Ireland and recommended the government address this.
Speaking after the publication of the report, Sharon Foley said she hoped the government will act on its findings and put palliative care at the top of health and other policy agendas.
“It is the right of every person to die in comfort and dignity but this is something we must plan for,” she said.
“It is possible to secure high quality care for those facing death while also ensuring the very best use of resources. A national strategy on palliative care, end of life and bereavement, as recommended in today’s report, will play a key role in ensuring this.”
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End of life palliative care are a great group of people. Sadly we had them in our family home twice in four years. They help you to come to terms with what’s happening. So grateful for all their help.
What about the ability to die with dignity? Anybody want to tackle that? How long have we done this for animals & we can’t get our sh*t together for our citizens/the people we love? I work with cancer suffers BTW.
Ireland will be the last country to do this. You follow, never lead.
If you witnessed an animal in pain squealing and knowing it was suffering you would certainly make the decision to put it out it’s misery right??? So why on earth would you want to watch a loved one dying a slow and painful death. Right to die will allow ppl to die with dignity and self respect.
I cannot fault the palliative care team, my mum has two forms of cancer, breast and pancreatic, the palliative nurses are fantastic at alleviating pain. They ensure my mum is totally clear of pain so that she now has a decent quality of life, they spend time with no rush are gentle and kind and make you feel you are the only person important to them.
Without them attending my mum would be full time in hospital and would not be able to be amongst her family at home at her end of life.
They give you back your dignity that cancer so cruelly robs from you.
Molly coddled.. You have me in tears.. I hope ye are all ok..
My brother passed away in a hospice and his team were terrific.. He had no pain.. He could have an ould brandy anytime if he wished.. Nothing was too much trouble.. They looked after us as much as him. And the most important thing is that they made him feel very special. And we’ll always be grateful to them for that above all else.. God bless their hearts.. Great people
Thank you Sinead, I am so sorry you lost your brother, I can empathise with you completely, it is a very tough time, both physically and emotionally draining and I agree with you the palliative team make the patient feel very special indeed.
My mums oncologist told me that in this day and age there is absolutely no reason for any cancer sufferer to be in any pain whatsoever, this has been proven to me to be very true indeed.
The usual Christian bulls#it will crop up in the right to die issue: life is sacred; life is a blessing and a gift. it’s a bit sickening really that if you are in agony and terminally ill that you can’t legally decide to go on your terms, for fear of offending the all loving all powerful God who put you in that position in the first place. I wonder if our descendants will look back on us as savages
“So why on earth would you want to watch a loved one dying a slow and painful death.”
Follow the energy in what you have written. Suffering and pain feed the RC cult, but you are not supposed to know about this energy snatching. Then the family and friends create more trauma and pain energy for them too.
Those with eyes can see it all in the room as it is happening.
Remember the Bean Sidhe – Woman of Peace and why she was demonized.
We Irish need to wake up and remember all.
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