Page 569 - Week 04 - Thursday, 29 June 1989
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The first one about which I want to tell you is the midwifery early discharge plan. Through this plan two full-time midwives - one at Woden Valley Hospital and one at Royal Canberra Hospital - will be employed on a seven day a week basis, as well as two antenatal educators, also one at each hospital, to operate a scheme for mothers who would like to participate in an early discharge program following a normal birth.
The usual stay following childbirth is between five and seven days. It is expected that as many as 20 per cent of these clients may be willing to participate in the program. Mothers participating in this program would be discharged from hospital between one and two days following birth. They would then be visited by the hospital based midwives for up to one week, after which time the mothers would be "discharged" from the program.
Mr Speaker, some women may wish to remain longer in hospital to take advantage of the hospital's facilities. There are many home situations which are difficult to manage after such an important life experience. For others, their return home is a relief after the institutional environment of a hospital, and they would prefer to be with family and supporting friends. All that is needed is some special help to allow this to occur with the best quality of care for mothers and babies. Naturally the mothers will continue to receive support from community nurses, as is normal in the ACT.
Many ACT residents have valued and appreciated the services of the home based palliative care program which fulfils an important need for many terminally ill persons and their carers. Unfortunately, the existing program is unable to accept all who are referred.
Palliative care is about relieving the symptoms of illness when no cure is available. Unfortunately, there are many conditions which the practice of medicine cannot change, but help can be provided to ensure that the people concerned are able to understand their sickness, have access to pain control, and maintain their dignity and choices about treatment.
Over the past three years it has served an average of 110 persons annually, all of whom have been cancer patients. With the funds now available under the incentive package, an additional three positions will be established to enable the palliative care program to expand the client base from the present 18 to 20 clients at any one time to 25 clients. It will also enable the program to accept clients who are suffering from terminal illnesses other than cancer.
The program is expected to reduce the dependence on hospital stay for terminally ill people. Despite the best efforts of health care workers in hospitals, the institutional setting is often impersonal and cold. In the difficult times of caring for the terminally ill and their
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