Have your say and help set the standard for end-of-life care

Family and friends can help shape the quality of care given in Swansea Bay to loved ones during their final days by sharing their experiences.

Providing high-quality care at the end of a person’s life is one of the top priorities of Swansea Bay University Health Board, but your input is crucial in both maintaining and improving it.

To do that, a quality survey created by the National Audit of Care at the End of Life (NACEL) helps the health board understand whether the care and support given to both patient, and family or friend, reached expectations.

The survey, consisting of quick questions, is offered to a relative or friend of someone who has died at Morriston, Singleton, Neath Port Talbot or Gorseinon hospitals. It isn’t offered, however, for certain circumstances, such as a patient dying within four hours of arriving in hospital or within the Emergency Department.

Kim Hampton-Evans, Care After Death Service Manager, said: “Losing a relative or someone close is understandably a very difficult time in a person’s life.

“We aim to give the best possible care and support to the patient and those close to them, and the survey is crucial in ensuring we are told what we are doing well and where we can improve.

PICTURED: Care After Death Service Manager Kim Hampton-Evans with a bereavement pack given to family and friends.

“Everyone grieves in their own way, and some people may not feel ready to provide feedback immediately after their loved one has died. But we’re offering everyone the opportunity to respond, and they can then complete it when they feel they are ready.

“We understand that completing the survey may bring strong memories and emotions, so our Care After Death Service offers support around that.

“We really value everyone’s perspective and experiences. The feedback gives us the opportunity to assess all aspects of the care and support we provide.”

The survey is included in the health board’s bereavement pack, which is handed to the deceased’s family or friends, and is also available via email.

The structure of the survey also emphasises the importance of having discussions with loved ones about their end-of-life wishes.

Having frank and honest conversations in the months and weeks leading up to the end of their life offers people a safe opportunity to share what is important to them for the last stage of their life. That could focus on the treatment options that might be best for that individual, or it may be centred around religious, spiritual or social needs.

It can lead to an improvement in the end-of-life care provided and reduce the burden on families or close friends. It often relieves anxiety - as relatives won't have to make decisions on behalf of their loved one, worrying about what to do for the best. It can also avoid unwanted or futile invasive treatments, offering people a more peaceful way to die.

PICTURED: Specialist Palliative Care consultant Sue Morgan is encouraging family members to start having conversations around end-of-life wishes.

Each person’s needs may differ, but the focus is the same – what matters to them.

Sue Morgan, Consultant in Specialist Palliative Care, said: “This year, our End of Life Care team is focussing on ‘Advance and Future Care Planning’.

“This involves recognising patients who are coming to the end of their life at the earliest possible stage, and generating conversations earlier so their wishes are discussed, recorded and respected.

“The sooner this is highlighted the more time it gives the patient, family members and healthcare professionals the opportunity to put things in place. It will also be a chance to have the ‘thank you, forgive me, I forgive you, I love you’ conversations.

“By having these conversations it allows us to plan care around what is important to the patient.”

You can access our dedicated Palliative and End of Life Care section on our website by clicking on this link.