The Local Organizing Committee is very happy to offer registered participants a unique opportunity to visit Dutch palliative care institutions.
On Thursday, April 3 and Friday, April 4, small groups of participants are offered the opportunity to see Dutch palliative care in practice, such as:
Hospices, Almost Home Houses, Palliative care units in homes for the elderly, Nursing homes and Hospitals which will offer you a program at their own location.
The purpose of the site visits is as follows:
- To inform participants about standards and developments in palliative care in
The Netherlands.
- To offer "on the spot" workshops about a special theme, offering the unique possibility to informally exchange experiences between professionals. The theme for this seminar is: "How much palliative care does a society need?"
Dinner and a social / cultural program are also part of the site visits. These visits are organized with financial help from the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports. Many palliative care institutions and organizations have made great efforts to welcome you!
In recent years, palliative care has made great progress in The Netherlands; because of this, we are very happy to give you the opportunity to visit the broad range of palliative care facilities in practice.
Additionally, you can visit with palliative consultation teams. On Thursday, April 3 and Friday, April 4 at 13:00 hours, buses will transport you from the Congress Centre to the various site locations, located throughout the country. At each site location, you will be informed how palliative care is organized in The Netherlands.
The Dutch government emphasizes the importance of being part of local "networks", where care givers and care facilities work together. While visiting these sites you will also learn more about the concept of forming "networks". You will also have the opportunity to meet with Dutch colleagues and professionals and exchange experiences in an informal setting.
In some cases a combination of multiple site locations needs to be made.
In order to match your interests as much as possible you can choose among the listed options. Please indicate your first, second and third choice on the registration form. We will make every effort to confirm At around 21:00 you will be back in The Hague. The number of participants to these site visits will be very limited and we suggest that you register as early as possible. This is offered on a "first-come first-served basis"
i.e. We will make every effort to confirm your first preference
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"Almost Home" Houses
"Almost Home " houses are small scale facilities with four to six beds. The houses offer basic care for people with no complex medical situations and do not employ their own medical staff but work with specially trained volunteers. Typically, these volunteers are part of the National Organization of Volunteers for Terminal Care. The residents are under the care of their own General Practitioner. Nursing care is given by "home care". When visiting an "Almost Home" house you can meet and learn more about volunteers, home care nurses, general practitioners and volunteer coordinators.
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Volunteers Terminal Care
When the care at home becomes too difficult, volunteers can offer help in the home. This form of support is additional to that of family, friends and the formal care. Duties for these volunteers consist of listening to the patient, close family and accompanying the dying. The most important motivation for these volunteers is to be there for the other! You can meet these volunteers at several locations.
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Hospices
Hospices are independent facilities where patients are admitted that have complex medical, nursing or social problematic situations. The admitting capacity is five to ten beds for permanent or temporary placement. Hospices have their own nursing, paramedical and medical staff, supported by specially trained volunteers. While visiting a hospice you will meet members of the multiple-disciplinary team such as nurses, physicians, social workers, pastoral workers and volunteers.
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Palliative Care Unit at a Home for the Elderly
Within a home for the elderly the residents live in their own apartments. Basic care is being offered. The home employs caregivers and nurses. The general practitioner has the final responsibility for medical care. There are several homes for the elderly in The Netherlands with a separate palliative unit. A palliative unit consists of several apartments especially kept for palliative patients with basic medical problematic situations. Typically patients from outside the home are admitted. Admittance to a unit offers a temporal alternative to the home situation. While visiting the palliative unit of the home for the elderly, you can meet care givers, nurses, unit coordinators and volunteers.
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Palliative Care Unit at a Nursing Home
In recent years several nursing homes have started with separate units for the palliative care. These units consist of five to ten single patient rooms. Patients with more complex problematic situations from outside the nursing home are admitted to these units. Typical for a nursing home is the availability of a multiple-disciplinary team consisting of nurses, caregivers, nursing home physicians, social workers, psychologists, physiotherapists, ergotherapists, pastoral workers and volunteers. You will be able to meet with these caregivers during your site visit.
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Palliative care at the Hospital
In the last couple of years more emphasis for the palliative care has also been given within the Dutch hospitals. During the site visits you can visit hospitals with specialized palliative care units or hospitals that are involved in palliative care through consultation teams or as network participants. While visiting a hospital you will meet professionals in palliative care such as medical specialists (internist oncologist), nurses and members of consultation teams.
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Palliative Consultation Teams
In recent years many possibilities for the consultation in the area of palliative care have been created in the Netherlands. The exchange of knowledge and experience, the support and consultation to other professionals is central. Consultation teams in general consist of a physician (nursing home physician and / or medical specialist) and one or more specialized nurses. Other disciplines can also be part of the team such as spiritual caregivers, psychologists, social workers, etc. The consultation teams do vary: Some teams only consult via telephone, while other teams also visits the patient at his or her bedside. While visiting a consultation team you can meet several team members.
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The site visits are only open to foreign registered participants (not Dutch participants).
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