The Irish Hospice Foundation’s programme ‘A Journey of Change’ was one of six projects selected to present at the recent 2016 HMI Leaders Award final. This prestigious award was developed to recognise leaders who are bringing about changes in healthcare, delivering improvements in patient’s outcomes and enhancing service delivery.
Anna de Siún is National Development Coordinator with The Irish Hospice Foundation and was one of six finalists. Anna said: “I’m proud to have been associated with this project since its inception in 2014. ‘A Journey of Change’ was developed to support staff working in residential care centres for older people to continually develop their end-of-life care.
“Based on a model of continuous quality improvement, the programme empowers staff to continually reflect on and review their end-of-life care practices and to make innovative, sustainable change where a need for change is identified. The use of the Bereaved Relative’s and Friend’s Questionnaire ensures the voice of the service user is integral to this process.
“Over 100 public, private and voluntary residential care centres are participating in the programme nationally. The centres engage in a series of on-site workshops to support them through one cycle of continuous quality improvement,” explained the finalist.
Fundamental to the programme is the Compassionate End of Life (CEOL) Review process, which brings staff together to reflect upon and review the end-of-life care provided to a resident after the resident has died. The review process also creates a space for staff to remember the person who has died and acknowledge their loss. Participating centres receive a range of tangible and online information and resources to support the delivery of best practice in end-of-life care.
A number of innovative change projects are being implemented in participating centres and staff will have the opportunity to present their work at a National Seminar in October 2016.
Anna concluded: “Change projects include upgrading the family overnight room, a Guard of Honour when a deceased resident is being moved from the RCC or setting up a text alert system to all staff to notify them of a residents death. Residential care centres have reported that taking part in the programme has also led to a number of positive cultural and attitudinal changes.”
The Health Management Institute of Ireland is the professional body for healthcare managers across all sectors of the health services in Ireland.
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