#15 Tower Hamlets Advance Care Planning Project with Lauren Preece

In this episode I talk with Lauren Preece, Team Lead of the Tower Hamlets Advance Care Planning Team. This innovative team leads on Advance Care Planning, working with patients and supporting healthcare professionals. Lauren talks about how they have moved from Difficult Conversations to Important Conversations and the impact of asking “what is important to you?”

Key messages from guest

• Lauren describes how the Advance Care Planning Team was set up and who is involved in the team.

• The Advance Care Planning Team is part of the generalist Community Nursing Team. 

• Advance Care Planning is everyone’s job. 

• Why it is important to have representation fromLearning Disabilities as part of the Team.

• Moving from “Difficult to Important Conversations” in Advance Care Planning

• Lauren acknowledges the professional discomfort we can feel when we can’t “fix” things.

• How Advance Care Planning starts from identification, from recognising that someone might be in the last year of life. 

• Why it is important to ask what someone understands about their health.

• Listening without the intent to talk, the importance of listening in effective communication.

• Why it is important to include Ordinary Dying in Advance Care Planning 
  

Resource

• Listen to the No Barriers Here podcast talking about Advance Care Planning for people with a Learning Disability.

• Find out more about the SPICT identification tool

• Find out more about What Matters Conversations 

• Find out more about Coordinate My Care 

• Watch this 4 minute video in which Kathryn Mannix explains Ordinary Dying

• Find out about Compassionate communication by phone

Lauren Preece is a District Nurse by background and is the Advance Care Planning Team Leader in Tower Hamlets. Her role is to help identify patients that are nearing the end of their life and facilitate health care professionals in having important conversations, at any stage of their phase of illness. Lauren has a keen passion for education and supporting the Integrated Team in hearing the patient's voice at the most important time of their life.

Find out more about my Bespoke Consultancy

• Service analysis for teams seeking to improve EoLC or prepare for CQC

• End of Life Care Education

• Lasting Power of Attorney Consultancy

• Talks and presentations

If you’d like to find out more about my work contact me.

What one thing will you do?

It would be great to share what resonated with you from this episode, what is the one thing you will do differently? Head to Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn to continue these important conversations.

Thanks to all my guests for working with me to share their knowledge, experience and stories about Advance Care Planning. I hope you enjoyed listening and have insights to take away; I love hearing your reflections on the series and look forward to reviews on Spotify where you can also subscribe to the series.

Clare

Important Conversations about Important Conversations.

Podcast edited by Martin Whiskin.