Hospital sessions help patients plan future care
BBCA new service offering patients the opportunity to decide on their future care plans has been introduced in a hospital.
The advanced care planning sessions at Cromer Hospital have been funded by the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital charity.
The sessions allow people with lifelong or terminal conditions to record their religious and personal care preferences before they have a health crisis.
They also cover wills, power of attorney and a person's hopes for the future.
The sessions cover whether there are particular medical interventions a patient wants - as well as whether they would like to be treated at home, or in hospital.
Among the first people to benefit from an advanced care planning session was 84-year-old Margaret Blackshaw, from Sheringham.
Margaret is having palliative care for her breast cancer and has been told she has 18 months to live.
"I was referred here by the nurse to talk about what I want for the rest of my journey," she said.
"We've been discussing all that and it's been very informative.
"There were things she brought up that I'd not thought of - my will and power of attorney, for example."
'Hopes and fears'
Her daughter, Kirsty Lawford, said that while some of the questions were upsetting, she felt much more confident that her mother was going to get the care she wanted.
"I've got a lot of reading to do," she said.
"There's this booklet to fill in. I didn't realise I could get help to get mum's will organised.
"Some of the paperwork here is also about mum's hopes and fears for what happens now."
Ms Lawford said the most important thing was knowing her mother's wishes were recorded so if she was taken to hospital without her, doctors would still know what to do.
The session also enabled the family to plan trips to Mrs Blackshaw's native Scotland, as well as a holiday to a Greek island while she is still well enough to travel.
Mrs Blackshaw said: "I have been to 13 Greek islands and that is a very unlucky number.
"I want my 14th".
Mel Taylor, who is a specialist in palliative care and runs the planning sessions, said they were not just for those nearing the end of life.
"These sessions are a way of supporting people to have those conversations about their care," she said.
"We might talk about walking two roads. So hope for the best is one road, but plan for the rest is the other.
"That allows them to have conversations with their families so those 'what if' questions can be considered."
Anyone in the Cromer area can be referred into the new clinic through their GP or consultant.
In May, a national conference will be held at the John Innes Centre in Norwich to focus on advanced care planning for medics and patients.
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