14 August 2022
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) is calling on people in Cork to become better informed about palliative care and its benefits as part of Palliative Care Week. Now in its ninth year, Palliative Care Week takes place from 11 to 17 September.
Palliative Care Week 2022 aims to raise awareness across the island of Ireland about the difference palliative care can make to people’s quality of life.
This year’s theme is ‘Palliative Care: Living as well as possible’. It echoes AIIHPC’s commitment to raising awareness of the positive impact that palliative care has on the lives of people with life-limiting illnesses and their families; allowing them to live their lives as fully as they can.
Karen Charnley, AIIHPC Director, said;
“We chose this year’s theme as Living as well as possible as we wanted to show how palliative care enables people to have a good quality of life.”
It can achieve this by putting the individual at the centre of care, supporting their physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs.
“It can also benefit people at all stages of illness and people of all ages, allowing the person to continue to have the independence to do some of the things that they enjoy, such as hobbies and spending time with family.”
“Throughout most people’s lives they will know someone who needs palliative care – often a family member. So, this year for Palliative Care Week we want to reach as many people as possible in Cork and help them to be better informed about all aspects of palliative care and its benefits.”
“It is important that people talk to their health or social care professional and communicate their concerns and ask questions about palliative care and how it could help them or someone important to them,” Ms Charnley said.
Fintan Fagan, Chief Executive Officer, St Francis Hospice, Dublin and Chair of AIIHPC, said;
“Palliative Care Week is a hugely important week for us as it creates many opportunities for us to show the vital help that is available for people, along with new developments in palliative care. We are especially looking forward to being able to meet in person at a number of events that are planned for Palliative Care Week this year, having been all online for the past two years due to the Covid 19 pandemic.”