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ANYONE who has supported a loved one through the final stages of their life will know just how many emotions are involved as you prepare for, and make, that final farewell.

And they will also know, as Jersey Hospice Care education lead Vicki Mcloughlin and education practitioner (community) Faye Thomas say, just how important it is to give that person the “best possible death”.

“You only have one opportunity to get it right and when you do, it makes such a difference not just to the person who is dying but to their loved ones as well,” said Faye.

Both Vicki and Faye, along with their colleagues in the education team, are experienced nurses, specialising in palliative care, and they have joined Jersey Hospice Care to share their knowledge with other carers in the hope that, in this way, they can “make a difference to more patients”.

“Because we’ve been Palliative Care Nurses for many years, we can tell stories of good deaths and bad deaths, and we know what makes a good death,” said Vicki, who has been a nurse for 33 years. “The more we can educate both professional carers and those people who are looking after loved ones, the more confident and competent they’ll be to provide the right care.”

With a love of islands, as well as a passion for nursing, Vicki worked in hospitals, hospices, and community centres in the UK and New Zealand before joining Jersey Hospice Care in August.

“I fell into palliative care very early in my career and have always loved it,” she said. “It’s very humbling to be able to help people as they go through such a difficult time.”

But while much of her time has been spent at people’s bedsides, Vicki has always been passionate about education as well.

“When I started my first job, I realised that, after qualifying as a nurse, there was very little further educational support available, so I set up an education venue to give students the extra advice and help that I was also looking for,” she explained.

Having also “fallen in love with palliative care from the moment she started it”, Faye has been a nurse for 15 years, and has recently returned to Jersey, where she previously worked at the Hospital and for Family Nursing and Home Care.

“I then spent four years working within children’s palliative care for a community team in Birmingham,” she said. “I loved the job but I missed the Island, so when the opportunity arose to join Jersey Hospice Care, I jumped at the chance to make an impact by educating people about the best way to deliver palliative care.”

The two women’s arrival at Jersey Hospice Care takes the charity’s education team up to seven personnel and, as Vicki explains, the expanded programme which they will be delivering is part of the new Palliative and End of Life Care Strategy for Adults in Jersey and is part funded by the government.

“This funding means the courses are free of charge and open to all carers, whether they’re established practitioners or non-professional carers who are looking after loved ones,” she added.

Some of those courses are more formal, with the free Education Mini-Series comprising a collection of short, focused sessions, each of which addresses a different element of palliative and end-of-life care.

Recognising the time pressures facing many carers, the team have also just launched the Carers’ Coffee Club, something which they hope will provide a more relaxed environment where people can both access information and connect with fellow carers.

“In the first half of each session, we cover a particular topic, which can range from the practicalities of pressure relief or oral care to pain management in palliative care or care after death,” said Vicki. “In the second half of the session, we have a question-and-answer session, where people can ask us about anything where they need extra support.”

“We really want to know what carers want from us,” said Faye. “While our own experiences gives us an idea of some of the support services that might be valuable, we also want to listen to their concerns and feedback. That’s why we’ve spent the past few weeks reaching out to care homes and community care providers to try to understand what training people need.”

Among the feedback received was that sessions needed to be easily accessible, which, says Vicki, is why the coffee clubs will take place in a range of venues including parish halls and Jersey Hospice Care’s charity shops.

“We want to go out into the community to make it as easy as possible for people to join us,” said Faye, adding that the sessions were open to anyone who was either already caring for someone or who “may be facing that scenario in the future”.

“A lot of people see death on television and have a preconceived idea of what death and hospices are like,” she added. “However, if you manage people’s symptoms correctly and are prepared, death can be beautiful, calm and peaceful, and that’s what our education initiatives are designed to promote.”

Picking up that theme, Vicki said: “When you teach people what makes a good death and they get it, and put it into practice, it’s incredibly rewarding, as you know that you’re making a real difference to patients and their families.”

While the team are looking forward to rolling out the sessions planned for the rest of the year, they’re also keen to hear from people about their training needs.

“We’re very adaptable, so will be evaluating the mini-series and coffee club in line with feedback to see how we can enhance the offer,” said Vicki.

“We can also create bespoke training sessions for care home and community care providers, and we want to reach out to other organisations and expand our work,” said Faye. “It’s really important to us, now that we can offer these sessions free of charge, that we reach as many people as possible, as we recognise that people often to choose to die in their own homes or care homes.” 

“It’s therefore vital that whoever is looking after them in their final days has the confidence and competence to care for them, so that as many people as possible have a good death.”