Specialist care unit added to Nepean’s redevelopment

Nepean Hospital is set to welcome a dedicated palliative care unit, the first specialist facility of its kind in the area.

The new palliative care unit will be located on the top floor (Level 7) of the new Stage 2 building, which is currently under construction.

We spoke to the End of Life and Palliative Care project manager at Nepean Hospital, Linda Ora, to find out more about the design and features of the new palliative care unit.

Having worked in end-of-life care services in Nepean and Mt Druitt hospitals to a hospice in England, Linda said a palliative care unit is not necessarily a “sad place.”

“At times it can be sad, but at other times it can be incredibly joyful as well. It's a place where people can make memories. A place where your family can be with you at a very important time in your life,” Linda said.

Linda said that she hopes patients, carers and families will feel instantly welcomed from the time they walk through the doors of the new unit.

“I think people will know from the time they enter that it’s a less clinical and a more home-like environment,” Linda said.

The new purpose-built unit will feature a welcoming reception, expansive lounge area next to a kitchen and dining area, a children’s play area and a variety of communal spaces and smaller nooks for patients and families.

With the unit located on the top floor of the new Stage 2 building, Linda said having access to the outdoors was key.

“Every patient room will have direct access to an outdoor garden space.

“There will also be two outdoor communal terrace areas with one facing the beautiful Blue Mountains and the other looking out to the Hawkesbury,” Linda said.

The bedrooms have been designed to suit the specific needs of Nepean Blue Mountains communities with an option of spacious single and double bedrooms with ensuites.

Within the rooms, there will be comfortable chairs, carer beds, televisions and shelves for patients to personalise the space with their own belongings. Clinical items such as oxygen and suction will also be made discreet when not in use.

Extensive consultation with staff and the local community has played an important role in the design of the new palliative care unit.

“Feedback and suggestions from people who had an interest or direct experience with a loved one or family member in palliative care helped us ensure that the design was going to be responsive to our community's needs,” Linda said.

She said consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and Aboriginal health workers was invaluable to understand their cultural perspectives.

“Speaking to our consumers really made us understand the importance of access to the outside as well as having adequate spaces to support large families and gatherings,” Linda said.

While having a new palliative care unit in the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District is greatly needed, Linda said it was important for people to know that most end-of-life care takes place in the home supported by the District’s community-based services.

“I think it's important to understand that the Nepean palliative care unit is part of a whole District-wide approach to improving access to palliative care.

“We are also enhancing our services to provide more palliative care in the home. That way we can support people who want to be at home and bring people into palliative care unit if home is not the best place at that time,” Linda said.

A dedicated palliative care unit also provides a place where staff can develop their palliative care expertise and skills.

"This means that people living with life-limiting illnesses can have specialised care at different stages in their illness journey, helping to make each day as good as it can be," Linda said.

With construction of the new Stage 2 building underway, Linda said she’s “very excited” for the new palliative care unit to open on the top floor.

“When it opens, we’re going to be able to offer a District-wide palliative care service that's coordinated, integrated, patient-centred and family-centred.

“It's a privilege and a highlight of my career to be a part of this," Linda said.

The new palliative care unit at Nepean Hospital is part of the NSW Government’s $93 million commitment to deliver new and redeveloped palliative care facilities at Nepean, Westmead, Wyong, Tamworth, and Orange hospitals. 

Now that the planning and design phases are complete, the project is focused on appointing a building contractor to deliver the new unit.

Construction timeframes will be confirmed in line with Stage 2 works and once a building contractor has been appointed.