Meeting regarding ambulatory palliative teams

Bære sammen, represented by Nina Bakkefjord, Anne Kristine Risvand Myrseth and Nina Herigstad, has met with Tonje Hov Grønli. She is the project manager for investigating a possible setting up of ambulatory palliative teams in Oslo, which we at Løvemammaene were clear that there really is a need for. 

Nina Bakkefjord reviewed important figures and experiences from both Løvemammaene's help service and our children's palliation project Carry Together.  

There was talk of equal services, which does not mean that everyone should have equal services, but enough and good services that provide equal lives. Here, the family must be seen as a whole, together with the need for help, this is what must be taken as a basis when decisions are made. It is important to think about prevention and prevent overload. Parents who are on alert, afraid for the life of their own child, while at the same time looking after their own health, siblings and relationship, sleep little or nothing - are exposed to both complicated grief and burnout.  

The offer for siblings of children with palliative conditions must be prioritized and given enough resources. It is therefore a great advantage for everyone that a child palliative care team consisting of a doctor, social worker, psychologist, physiotherapist, nurse and others with good skills gets to know the families and builds trust and security long before the child dies. The families need someone who can stand the life they are in, and who can talk to them about the difficult questions. To prevent complicated grief, one must lighten the burden of care and prepare the family through good grief support work. Good plans must be made as far in advance as possible. It is also important that the children's palliative care teams have their loyalty with the child and the family, in order to be able to provide real help in a particularly difficult life situation - which often lasts for many years.  

Nina H. Talked about the children's palliative care team in Stavanger, both in hospital and municipally, and how nice it is with regular home visits. It is safe when the whole family knows the team well and good contingency plans are drawn up. Anne Kristine shared an important experience from her own life, which highlights the importance of familiar teams around the child and family, and the consequences of not having one.  

We thank you for your cooperation, and look forward to being a resource in the important work that remains.

The conclusion from our side is clear: Create ambulatory palliative teams in Oslo as soon as possible, and start work on how to give the families real grief support, follow-up, a good life - and as good a death as possible.