A Dedicated Palliative Care Unit
The Palliative Care Unit is now accepting patients and was officially opened in January this year. The ground floor area at the eastern end of the Orange Base Hospital has two dedicated palliative care beds, with the capacity to extend to four beds if needed.
It becomes a permanent replacement for the Uniting Parkwood facility which was used for a trial last year. The opening follows a multi-year effort by the Orange Push for Palliative team. Key members visited the facility, which includes access to a hospital garden, on Tuesday as part of the opening.
GREAT ACHIEVEMENT: Phil donato, Jenny Hazelton, Catherine Nowlan and Nurse Unit Manager, Edie Soks – outside the Palliative Care Unit.
Photo: JUDE KEOGH, Central Western Daily
Ms Nowlan said the new area was a “significant development” in the growth of the hospital. “The opening of this area gives Orange Hospital two dedicated palliative care beds, with the capacity to increase to four beds if needed,” she said.
“The remaining beds within the Unit are for patients admitted for haematology or oncology treatment,” Ms Nowlan said.
“It provides patients and families with the option to receive palliative end-of-life care within the hospital environment in a dedicated palliative care Unit with a specialist medical, nursing and allied health team.
“The Unit will complement the work being done with the community palliative care team and community nurses who also provide palliative care within the home.”
NEW PALLIATIVE CARE UNIT: the beautiful garden for patients and families to enjoy; comfortable lounge room and one of the palliative care rooms with a quilt and paintings donated by members of the community.
The concept was proposed in July 2020. After endorsement by a palliative care strategic working group, including the Push for Palliative group, Western NSW Local Health District announced in October the plan would progress.
Member for Orange, Phil Donato, took a 10,000-signatory petition calling for the reinstatement of a palliative care ward at Orange Hospital, to State Parliament in 2017.
Article: DAVID FITZSIMMONS, Central Western Daily, March 9, 2021