Sharing Current Scottish Practice

Enhanced End of Life Care in Ayrshire Nursing Home

The Abbotsford Nursing Home in Ardrossan has been providing meaningful and sensitive care for its residents for almost 30 years in North Ayrshire.

Recently, we have developed a new service, Enhanced End of Life Care, for when a person is no longer able to be supported at home (for instance, due to carer fatigue), or the person has been admitted to hospital but would prefer his/her place of care to be closer to home, family and friends.

In a close working partnership with District Nursing, G.P.'s, NHS Specialist Palliative Nurses and The Ayrshire Hospice Specialist Palliative Care Community Nurses, we respond to provide a comprehensive form of palliative care in an informal, relaxed environment. Our holistic approach includes pain and symptom management and nursing care in a dedicated en-suite bedroom

facility, as well as accommodating the person's spiritual, emotional and/or social support needs.

Our Enhanced End of Life Care service has been developed with strong support from Specialist Palliative Nursing teams at The Ayrshire Hospice and the NHS, local District Nursing teams and Macmillan Cancer Support. This collaboration is providing support and assistance both operationally and with additional knowledge and skills development for our team in Abbotsford.

It is free to the service user and is funded through the Scottish Government's Integrated Care Fund. We were awarded this funding by the North Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership and it is currently for one dedicated en-suite room facility. This initiative will enable local people in the advanced stage of their illness to be cared for twenty four hours a day in closer proximity to their family, friends and within their community. The service can be offered to people who would

prefer this choice and where their life expectancy is limited. However, should the person's symptoms stabilise, it is anticipated that a return to home will be a positive outcome, allowing the service to become available for another individual and his/her circle of friends and family.

If you would like more information on this new, innovative service, please contact Louise Pettigrew, Registered Manager, or her Depute, Georgette Langan, on 01294 602915 or by email.

By Nigel Wanless, Abbotsford Nursing Home