The Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care is developing a public education course for anyone who wants to be able to support someone with issues they face relating to death, dying and bereavement.
The course is aimed at members of the public who want to increase their baseline knowledge of matters relating to dying and bereavement, and to build their confidence and comfort supporting others through these difficult times.
The course is still in development, but is expected to be structured around four modules each lasting two hours:
Module 1: An introduction to death in Scotland
An opportunity to grow more comfortable talking about death and dying, and explore common illnesses and patterns of decline. This module looks at the roles of different professionals and institutions and the responsibilities and limitations of Scotland’s health and social care system.
Module 2: Serious Illness and Frailty
Explore some common issues that can arise towards the end of life and some of the emotional issues that can affect someone who is dying. This module explores the emotional support a friend or family member can provide to someone who is dying. It also looks at what people can do to plan ahead to improve their end of life care experience.
Module 3: Realities of Caring and Dying
Learn about bodily changes that take place in the last few days and hours of life. This module covers common treatments and medications that someone might come across, and expectations relating to what these treatments can achieve. This module also looks at the practical support a friend or family member can provide to someone who is dying.
Module 4: Caring for the Carer
Think about some of the issues that can affect people who are spending a lot of time looking after someone else, and where to get more information, help and support. This module covers bereavement, emphasises the importance of self-care, and looks at how people can look after themselves and others they know who are carers.
The course is being developed by a Working Group, and a separate Reference Group with representation from a wide range of organisations is advising the SPPC on the management of the project.
There are plans to run a small pilot of the course in Autumn 2019, followed by further refinement and development of the course.
A In 2020 we’ll be looking for organisations and individuals interested in running End of Life Aid Skills (EASE) courses in their area. If this is something that may interest you, or you'd like to be kept informed of developments, please get in touch: rebecca@palliativecarescotland.org.uk
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