"Geriatric Palliative Care"

I’d like to start by saying that we were very happy with the care our dad received during his final days in Palliative Care at Canberra Hospital. The staff who cared for him were compassionate, caring and open about what they were doing. They answered our questions and we felt Dad was treated with dignity and respect.

Unfortunately, our experience after Dad’s death was very different.

We received a call early in the morning informing us that Dad had passed away. A few hours later, we received another call asking if we would like to return to say our final goodbye, as Dad’s body needed to be moved.

We arrived at the hospital shortly afterwards. We didn’t recognise any of the nursing staff on duty. There was a note on Dad’s door asking us to speak to a nurse before entering. We approached a nurse, and asked if we could go in. They said they would find out for us. After waiting for about a minute and receiving no response, we went in and said our final goodbye.

When we left, not one member of staff spoke to us, acknowledged us or offered any condolences. There appeared to be no awareness that Dad had died or that we were his family coming to say our final goodbye.

We left feeling incredibly confused and, quite honestly, as though nobody cared that we had just lost our dad. We were given no information about what would happen next, who we needed to speak to or what the process was for arranging his funeral.

Then, about an hour later, we received another phone call asking, “Are you coming to see your dad? We have to move the body.” We explained that we had already been there, said our final goodbye and left approximately an hour earlier.

This was particularly upsetting because it highlighted what appeared to be a complete lack of communication and handover between staff. We had been specifically asked to return to the hospital, yet the staff on duty seemed to have no idea that we had already arrived and left.

I appreciate that hospitals are busy and that staff have many responsibilities. However, when a patient has died, this is not an ordinary situation. Families are experiencing one of the most distressing moments of their lives. Basic communication, acknowledgement and compassion should not be overlooked.

I would strongly suggest a clear process for handover following a patient’s death, particularly when family members are being asked to return to say their final goodbye. The next shift should know that the patient has died, that the family has been contacted and whether they have already attended.

Most importantly, someone should take responsibility for acknowledging the family, offering condolences and explaining what happens next. We should not have been left to work this out ourselves.

We remain grateful for the care Dad received from the Palliative Care team in his final days. Our concern is specifically about what happened after his death. I hope this feedback is taken seriously and that a better process can be put in place so other families are not left feeling as confused, unsupported and overlooked as we were.