The Ombudsman, Peter Tyndall, has launched a report which highlights how ‘end of life’ care in Ireland could be improved. The report builds on the learning from complaints examined by his Office some of which are featured in the report. The Ombudsman hopes that the report, ‘A Good Death’, will help those involved in caring for people who are dying, to learn from mistakes others have made, and to promote best practices in ‘end of life’ care.
Speaking at the launch, Peter Tyndall said:
"I hope these real life experiences will make a positive contribution to the national debate on ‘end of life’ care and the campaign to make Ireland a good place to live in and to die in.”
The report stresses the importance of hospitals having good communication, support for patients and families, and appropriate procedures both before and after death.
The launch also included a preview screening of the RTE /Irish Hospice Foundation documentary, ‘Way To Go: Death and the Irish‘, presented by Norah Casey. The documentary features first-hand experiences of healthcare professionals and people who are dying speaking openly and honestly about going through the last months of their lives. The documentary will be screened on RTE television on Tuesday 1 July.
Cases in the Ombudsman’s Report: A Good Death
Communicating
One woman who made a complaint to the Ombudsman understood that her husband’s cancer “was gone” as she put it, following chemotherapy. The Ombudsman found that this was not what was said by the consultant but that it was what the woman understood she was told. In another case a man believed he had hastened his mother’s death by agreeing to a ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ order. In a further case, neither patient nor family was informed of how seriously ill the patient was. The family bitterly regretted that this news had not been shared with their mother or themselves. The daughter said, “We should have been given the truth that would have allowed us support and assist her in coming to terms with her prognosis in the last few weeks of her life. Instead we were trying to get her to eat and giving her hope”.
The cases highlight the importance of communicating clearly with patients and relatives.
Support for families and carers
One family brought their 85-year-old mother home to care for her when she was dying. They were not told how to administer morphine. There was confusion over how the medication was to be sourced and the family had to call a GP in the middle of the night to provide essential pain relief.. It was a bad experience for the woman and left a crippling memory for her family.
The case highlights the need for support for families and carers of those who are dying.
Learning from complaints
The Ombudsman’s report quotes one woman who stressed the importance of learning from mistakes:
“It gives me great peace of mind that my complaint will lead to changes in practice and hopefully deter such poor standards of care occurring again.”
The report, ‘A Good Death’ is available on the Ombudsman’s website