Hospice warns future palliative care model unrealistic

“The vision is welcomed, but the assumptions, funding gaps and absence of operational clarity undermine confidence,’’ the Hospice Southland submission stated.

The draft model is part of a raft of proposed changes based on the acknowledgement that care for the terminally ill is at a critical juncture.

The number of people dying in New Zealand each year is projected to increase from about 36,000 in 2023 to 63,000 in 2053. And because people are dying older, they are doing so with more complex needs, in a country that already has inequities in access and services.

Debbie Holdsworth, Health New Zealand’s director of funding, community and mental health, said the draft model features an increased emphasis on holistic care, aligning with people’s goals, as well as support for whānau carers, plus integration of primary and specialist palliative care services with flexible transitions, proactive and collaborative care planning for the end of life. There will also be regional and national approaches, Radio New Zealand reported.

The Hospice Southland submission stated that, at the primary level, the model’s vision did align with best practice, “but without resourcing, education and recognition of emerging roles, these expectations cannot be achieved’’.

Aged residential care and home care providers were under growing pressure from demand and underfunding.

“Without investment in workforce education, their capacity will not meet future need,’’ the submission stated.

The model’s expectation that primary providers would empower and educate whānau carers, while arranging out-of-hours support, was also unrealistic given current resourcing. Nurse practitioners were increasingly vital in both primary and aged residential care, but were not mentioned in the model.

Nor were “death doulas’’ (non-medical professionals who provide emotional, spiritual and practical support to people nearing the end of their lives and to their families) who reportedly play a vital role in some communities.

Hospices themselves needed better funding pathways, the Hospice Southland submission stated. They receive only 41 per cent of their funding from the Government, and for all the strong community support received, they relied on unsustainable fundraising while facing new responsibilities in night care, outreach and education.

FULL STORY

Hospice Southland has issues with Govt’s palliative care proposals (By Michael Fallow/Southland Times)

Input sought on draft model for palliative care (Radio New Zealand)