Distinguished Professor Patsy Yates, Executive Dean Faculty of Health, former Head of QUT’s School of Nursing and distinguished researcher in palliative care, speaks to Kate about achieving access to high quality end of life care for the whole community.
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Thank you for the excellent insights.
As a carer for my Lvl.4 Alzheimer’s wife, I find an important need is to help her occupy herself.
I do the housework, all the “male” chores, and the “female” chores, and her minute-by-minute needs, dressing, washing, toilet, and take her everywhere with me. I have a couple of hours a week respite.
But there is imperative need to take care of finances (computer work), e-mails and communications with all external medicos, write letters and deal with mail and bills. All carers will experience how difficult this becomes when the “patient” cannot sit alone at all, and can only watch a TV programme until the first commercial breaks continuity, and will want not only uninterrupted companionship, but hand-holding and eye contact.
I have discovered large format picture books which help. Well chosen music can help short-term. I will explore possible simple needlework projects. But a source of absorbing resources would be a great help to all carers.