Palliative Care Team Unteres Mühlviertel: Support on the last journey

2023-10-31 02:40:03

It’s a job that requires a lot of sensitivity – and sometimes strong nerves. For ten years, a cooperation between the Red Cross district of Perg and the hospice movement in the Freistadt district has made it possible for seriously ill and dying people to receive palliative care in their familiar surroundings. This work includes monitoring pain therapies, as well as nursing measures and support with social law issues – from nursing allowance to hospice leave. The primary goal of the “Palliative Care Team” is to maintain the quality of life of the people being cared for as best as possible and to support their relatives during this very stressful time for everyone.

The cooperation between the supporting organizations in the Perg and Freistadt districts has made it possible to cover the constantly increasing number of patients in recent years. The offer has been financed from the outset using structural funds from the state of Upper Austria. This means that palliative work can be carried out free of charge for those affected.

Fears and insecurities

“The transition from the inpatient to the home area is often associated with a lot of fear and uncertainty for seriously ill and dying patients and their relatives. It is precisely in such situations that the mobile palliative care team can provide supportive work,” says Marion Würzl, team leader in the district Freistadt. Especially when treatment can no longer be healing-oriented, conversations and listening become particularly important. Relatives can be offered further support after the death of the person concerned.

The Palliative Care Team only employs qualified health and nursing staff and palliative medicine specialists. They keep an eye on the medical and nursing care of those affected. Volunteers from the mobile hospice teams also provide psychosocial support. “The Lower Mühlviertel mobile palliative care team is an integral part of the care landscape,” says the team leader for the Perg district, Silvia Buchmayr.

1,600 patients cared for

Since the Lower Mühlviertel palliative care team began its work, its employees have covered 315,000 kilometers as part of their mobile activities. A total of 13,500 home visits were made to 1,600 patients. In addition to the 22,400 hours worked, there are also around 75,500 hours of on-call duty for those affected and their families.

A video shows the work of the Freistadt hospice movement quite impressively: