Original article: Express and Star
To mark International Paramedics Day this Saturday, Compton Care’s Care Home Team, which includes a number of Paramedic Practitioners, announced that in the last 12 months it has supported thousands of residents of local care homes in a bid to reduce the number of avoidable hospital admissions for residents nearing end of life.
Compton Care launched its dedicated care home service to provide specialist palliative care advice to residents, carers and families of those living with a life limiting condition, including support from paramedics in the team.
The service, available to all residents living in residential and nursing homes in the Wolverhampton area, helps those who require assistance in advance care planning and palliative care, with the aim of reducing unnecessary hospital admissions.
It also enables members of the Compton team to share their specialist palliative care skills and knowledge with care home staff in order to support decision making and improve end of life care.
The service is delivered by a team of experienced clinical nurse specialists and paramedics, including Shelley Whitmore, one of the team’s paramedic practitioners.
Shelley, who joined Compton with eight years of experience in the ambulance service under her belt, has always had a keen interest in palliative care.
In her previous role, she was pained to have to take palliative patients into hospital, causing distress for all involved.
She said: “Previously, care homes in the area were reliant on district nurses and GP services, but now we’re able to provide specialised support for care home residents with a palliative diagnosis, in the comfort of their usual surroundings.
“As a paramedic practitioner, I’m able to bring my unique experiences and skills to help assess acute situations and recognise when it’s appropriate to call for an ambulance.
"We also help to implement ReSPECT forms for advance care planning, and provide reviews, advice and management of symptom control for what can be quite complex palliative care needs.”
Care home residents do not need to be known to Compton Care to benefit from the service.