Some key resources for health care professionals, as well as people using hospice services or anyone interested in understanding more about palliative and end-of-life care.
Hospice New Zealand
The national organisation representing the country’s hospice services, which are all independently governed and managed at a local level. A central body for hospice information, education and resources.
Visit www.hospice.org.nz
The Knowledge Hub – Growing Together
Provided by Hospice New Zealand and offering online courses, a resource library, and palliative care online lectures and recordings. The aim is to provide health professionals and carers with education and resources to enable the provision of skilled and competent palliative care.
Visit knowledgehub.hospice.org.nz
Palliative Care Handbook
A resource is to help make palliative care understandable for health professionals, providing clear explanations of how to manage issues that can be very challenging. It includes sections on symptom control, drug information and prescribing. This handbook is useful wherever palliative care happens.
Visit www.hospice.org.nz/resources/palliative-care-handbook
Primary Palliative Care Guidelines – 3rd edition 2020
These guidelines are designed for health professionals who provide palliative care outside of the specialist palliative care team, such as Aged Residential Care facilities, hospitals, primary health care providers. These guidelines express the common practice in Northland amongst the palliative care teams, incorporating information from the Palliative Care Handbook with a practical holistic approach to care.
PDF download Primary Palliative Care Guidelines 3rd edition 2020
Te Ara Whakapiri – Care in the Last Days of Life
The support and care of families/whānau, as well as the dying person, is a crucial part of last days of life care. It is best delivered by a multidisciplinary team, supporting everyone involved to identify realistic goals of care and contribute to decision-making, whilst also helping them deal with their own distress.
Te Ara Whakapiri – Care in the Last Days of Life can be used in any care setting to help teams of health care professionals make regular assessments that include reflection, review and critical decision-making in the best interest of the person they are caring for.
Visit www.health.govt.nz/publication/te-ara-whakapiri-principles-and-guidance-last-days-life
Advance Care Planning
Advance care planning (ACP) is the process of thinking about, talking about and planning for future health care and end-of-life care.
The Health Quality & Safety Commission website provides information about ACP for clinicians and consumers.