'We couldn't have managed without your team': A collaborative palliative care response to the COVID-19 pandemic in residential aged care
Publication Details
Runacres, F.,
Steele, P.,
Hudson, J.,
Bills, M.,
&
Poon, P.
(2021).
'We couldn't have managed without your team': A collaborative palliative care response to the COVID-19 pandemic in residential aged care.
Australasian Journal on Ageing,.
Abstract
The global COVID-19 pandemic has challenged healthcare, aged care and palliative care provision in ways previously unimaginable. In Australia, this has been felt particularly amongst our most vulnerable members of society, those residing in residential aged care. Currently representing the majority (75%) of COVID-19 deaths and health-care worker infections, this vulnerable sector has borne the greatest impact. A collaborative response comprising a tertiary hospital palliative care outreach service, residential InReach geriatric service and a community palliative care service effectively delivered comprehensive and timely specialist care to residents infected with COVID-19. Daily videoconferencing rounds were efficient, minimised infection risk and facilitated family members attending virtually during patient assessments and care planning discussions. This model was both reactive and proactive and importantly scalable should further infective outbreaks occur in Australasian residential aged care facilities.
Keywords
Covid-19, Health services for the aged, Palliative care, Residential facilities, Telehealth
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