FAMILIES don’t understand the issues surrounding palliative care until they are placed in the position of caring for a loved one at the end of their life, according to councillor Jason Hamling who is urging the people of Orange to get behind the Push for Palliative forum tomorrow.
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Cr Hamling, who has served on Orange City Council for 13 years, said he always assumed there was a designated palliative care unit at Orange hospital, as was the case with the former Orange Base Hospital site, until his mother fell ill and passed away recently.
“I think like most people in the community our family expected there would be continuity with a separate palliative unit like the old hospital, but that’s not the case,” he said.
Cr Hamling said while there were caring and compassionate staff at the hospital, palliative care was under-resourced in Orange.
Cr Hamling hopes his family’s personal story about his mother’s end-of-life experience will give more insight into some aspects of palliative care in Orange.
“What we need is a separate, designated area that is purely for palliative care, and I am calling on the people of Orange to make that happen,” Cr Hamling said.
He said his family was fortunate to secure a private room for his mother at Orange hospital at the end of her life, but they became upset when told only two people could stay with his mother during the night, and the three others had to leave.
“We were told that was hospital rules, so that just left my sister and I with mum through the night,” he said.
Cr Hamling said if Orange had a designated palliative care unit that situation would not happen to families.
“We need a designated palliative care space, and I understand there is a ward on the ground floor that could be opened up just as a temporary measure,” he said.
“And we also need a private entry and exit so families like ours who are emotionally distressed don’t have to leave through that very public area of the front entrance.”
Tomorrow’s forum starts at 10am and guest speakers include local, state and federal health experts, as well as Gail O’Brien, wife of the late celebrated cancer surgeon Dr Chris O’Brien, general practitioner Dr Joseph McRae, and a panel that includes a range of health professionals and community members.
“We are very pleased to be working with the Orange Health Service to host this forum,” Push for Palliative chair Tracy Wilkinson said.
The forum will be officially opened by Orange mayor John Davis.
janice.harris@fairfaxmedia.com.au
