1. A New Type of Worker: Developing the End of Life Carer
Dr Carol Purcell
University of Hull
07/08/2018
Dr Carol Purcell

2. The Beginnings of the Project
A chance meeting between the project leader and a manager of a care home led to discussions about end of life care
Staff of the care home were reported to be unhappy when their residents were moved into acute hospital settings to die
The manager wanted to enable residents to die in their own home - the care home
07/08/2018
Dr Carol Purcell

3. Context of the Project
Growing awareness that people reaching the end of their life should be able to expect support and care to meet their physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs
The report End of Life Care by the National Audit Office (2008) reported that the NHS and social care services are often not meeting the basic needs of people reaching the end of their life
Department of Health (2008) End of Life Care Strategy : Promoting high quality care for all adults at the end of life DH: London
07/08/2018
Dr Carol Purcell

4. Contemporary Society and Dying
Many people do not die as they would have wished, or in the place of their choice (their own home)
Familiarity with death and dying has decreased
Of the half a million people dying each year in in England, around 58% die in NHS hospitals
Opportunities for training and greater openness and discussion about death and dying are needed
(DH, 2008)
07/08/2018
Dr Carol Purcell

5. Aims of the Project
To explore deficits in skills and knowledge that carers say they need to meet the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of the dying client To develop a learning programme to help carers bridge the identified skills and knowledge gap
Dr Carol Purcell
07/08/2018

6. The Project Based in the workplace
Only requirement for participants was a willingness to be open, to explore issues and discuss dying
Focus groups allowed staff to investigate areas of workplace practice where they believed care could be improved through participation in a training programme
The learning programme was constructed to meet the needs of the carer to support and provide appropriate interventions for the dying person
07/08/2018
Dr Carol Purcell

7. Programme Content Designed around: Carers/ client needs
Emerging Common Core requirements for End of Life Care and Occupational Standards
Content included:
Palliative care and symptom management
Physical comfort
Complementary therapies
Emotional wellbeing
Improving communication
Care pathways
Mental Capacity Act
07/08/2018
Dr Carol Purcell

8. Findings
07/08/2018
Dr Carol Purcell

9. Carers self-rating of knowledge before and after learning programme
07/08/2018
Dr Carol Purcell

10. Carers self-rating of confidence before and after learning programme
07/08/2018
Dr Carol Purcell

11. New skills for example hand massage
Benefits: Carers
New skills for example hand massage
07/08/2018
Dr Carol Purcell

12. Benefits: Carers
The knowledge to know what to do and who to talk to, to deal with the unexpected
07/08/2018
Dr Carol Purcell

13. Benefits: Carers
Confidence to be able to talk with health care professionals at all levels when needed
07/08/2018
Dr Carol Purcell

14. Benefits: The Manager’s Perspective
Success
Contributed to achievement of Quality Delivery Gold Award
New direction
Dialogue with company to develop End of Life Care Unit
New practices
Improved client care
Improved team work and staff satisfaction
Improved communication
Between care home and local GPs, PCT, District Nurses and the hospital
07/08/2018
Dr Carol Purcell

15. What do the carers who took part in the project want to tell us?
“There is more to end of life care than I realised” “We talked about subjects which are usually overlooked and talked about very rarely” “I am more confident” “The best part has been my personal development” “My service users have benefitted as I am much more aware of their needs” “The training has had an enormous impact on all of us”
07/08/2018
Dr Carol Purcell

16. The Future: What we have learned from this project
More End of Life Care training is needed
Providing opportunities for open and frank exploration of difficult topics or issues through facilitated discussion groups is essential
Workplace learning provides an opportunity for discussion of “real” issues; but learning at work is often disrupted due to client needs
One of the most important factors in delivering good End of Life Care is the gaining of confidence through knowledge and skill development
Dr Carol Purcell
07/08/2018
Dr Carol Purcell