“Supporting clients on the end-of-life pathway is a truly meaningful part of what we do at Feros Care.”

In honour of National Palliative Care Week from 11 to 17 May, we spoke to Feros Care Registered Nurse, Caroline Ford, about how she helps clients and their loved ones prepare for and embrace life’s final chapter.

As Benjamin Franklin famously said, “In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” But despite its inevitability, our fear of death often leads us to avoid talking about it.

According to Palliative Care Australia, more than 400 people die of a terminal illness every day in Australia, but 62 percent don’t receive any specialist palliative care, and 56 percent pass without having talked about or recorded their end-of-life wishes.

Not only can this lack of planning mean that the person isn’t always able to die on their own terms, but scrambling to make arrangements during an already emotional time can be extremely stressful for their loved ones.

How Feros Care can help

To help ease the pressure, Feros Care’s Registered Nurses (RNs) provide in-home client visits to conduct palliative care and end-of-life assessments, plus assist with advance care planning. One of these very special individuals is RN Caroline Ford.

“We start by doing a health assessment to see where they are in their palliative trajectory,” Caroline explains. “We approach it holistically by looking at their physical, emotional, and mental health, and seeing how we can best manage their symptoms. And we also help them document their health wishes and plan their end-of-life care.

“If the client is also receiving support from the community palliative care team, which provides hands-on care like medication management, we work in conjunction with them and provide some extra visits and emotional support for the family.”

Caroline’s caring and helpful approach provides welcome relief to families during a difficult time.

“It can be overwhelming and most people are unsure what to do or expect,” says Caroline.

“The carers often want to make sure they can look after their loved one until the end because that’s what they want or what their loved one wants. We provide them with both the practical and emotional support they need to make that happen and they’re so grateful. I’ve had nothing but amazing feedback from the families we’ve assisted.”

Giving a client permission to say goodbye

Recently, Caroline was caring for a Feros client in her nineties who had several health conditions and had recently been hospitalised.

Every time she would visit, the client would say, “I think my body has had enough.” Instead of brushing her concerns aside or be falsely ‘positive’ about the inevitable, Caroline asked her why she felt that way.

“We had some really open conversations about it and it was lovely,” Caroline explains.

“Then, when I visited her one day, she was in a lot of pain was very distressed about it. So, I spoke to her GP and was able to get one of her medications changed straight away. I explained to her that she would feel a lot calmer and more comfortable on this new medication.

“She passed away within 24 hours. The family was so grateful that I was able to step in and manage her pain and distress so that she could physically let go. It happens so often that people just need to be comfortable to be able to finally let go.”

Going the extra mile at the end of life

Caroline is so passionate about making death a more positive experience for all involved that she started her own business called Shift with Caroline, which she juggles with her role at Feros.

“I support clients and their loved ones through all aspects of advance care planning, funeral planning, celebrant services, and provide emotional support during the dying process.

“I’m currently in the process of launching physical and digital resources which will make the advance care planning process much more effective for all Australians.

“And I’m about to launch ‘The Last Supper Club’, which is a facilitated dinner experience using my resources to create conversation and connection, complete advance health directives, and start the process around all areas of end-of-life planning.”

What’s your plan?

To place a spotlight on the importance of helping people prepare for end-of-life, the theme of this year’s National Palliative Care Week (11 to 17 May) asks us a simple yet powerful question; “What’s your plan?” It’s a direct approach to Australians and their loved ones to talk about what matters most at the end of life. To find out more, visit the Palliative Care Australia website.

If you would like to speak to one of our compassionate team members about our end-of-life care, please reach out by phoning 1300 418 418, or existing clients can contact us via the MyFeros portal.

If a loved one is currently receiving palliative care, please download our Bereavement Guide. It provides both practical information about the process once they pass, as well as guidance on how to deal with grief.