#5 Planning ahead for end of life care with critical care and former End of Life Care paramedic with Jim Walmsley

In episode five I talk with Jim about what he learned from working in a hospice and how he walks two roads between life saving active interventions and supporting people at the end of life. Jim talks about what can happen when Advance Care Planning is not in place, describing some of the calls he has attended to demonstrate the reality. We know that many people express a wish to be in their own home at the end of life, yet often the planning to facilitate this is missing; Jim describes what can happen without these important plans in place.

Key messages from Jim

•  Changing perceptions and bridging two worlds between critical care and End of Life Care

•  How experience in Hospice Care shaped Jim's practice

•  The challenges making rapid plans in an emergency situation

•  Why we need to plan ahead and the difference it makes in a crisis situation

•  How Advance Care Planning can support in a dignified death 

•  The improved resource management of planning ahead

•  The frustrations and limitations of tying to make plans at 04:00 in the morning

•  What happens when plans are made and systems work together.

•  How unprepared we are for Ordinary Dying

•  The positive impact of systems  working together, and Advance Care Planning 

•  You can change your mind about plans at any time

•  Read  Being Mortal by Atul Gwande 

•  Make your wishes and preferences known for you, your loved ones and to ensure the system works best for you.
  

Resource

• What Matters Conversations

• Guidance: DNACPR and CPR decisions | Resuscitation Council UK 

• ReSPECT | Resuscitation Council UK  

• Being Mortal: Illness, Medicine and What Matters in the End - Wellcome Collection (Paperback) Atul Gawande 

• Advance Decisions Assistant 

• Dying Matters Planning Ahead Tool for information on Advance Directive to Refuse Treatment 

• 'Dying is not as bad as you think' | BBC Ideas (Ordinary Dying) 

• You Matter - End of Life Care in the Community 

• A National Framework to Improve Care of People with Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest

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.