I AM A HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL
Wedgetail Retreat is a Not for Profit, that is owned by Tweed Palliative Support Inc., a community volunteer group that has been operating in Tweed Shire and surrounding areas for 25 years. The care team at Wedgetail Retreat is led by dedicated Palliative Care Registered Nurses. Our ethos at Wedgetail is to provide best-practice palliative care to all those in need.
Whilst we prioritise End-of-Life Care we also cater to those on the Palliative Care Register who need respite. There are 4 beds at Wedgetail Retreat and the number of guests at any given time is transient.
It is the expectation that all patients being admitted to Wedgetail Retreat have a medication chart with pre-emptive medications for potential deterioration done by their pre-admission General Practitioner or specialist treating team. You are welcome to continue overseeing your patient’s care at Wedgetail once admitted or you can handover to the Hospice GP and our team.
We work closely with the NSW Health Specialist Palliative Care Team. We have the invaluable support of the Palliative Care Staff Specialist and Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner from the local health district. The staff specialist can be consulted on any patient with complex care needs. .
referring a Patient to Wedgetail:
Referrals can be made by healthcare professionals, including General Practitioners (GP’S), specialist doctors, community agencies and/or allied health. A referral must be received before accepting an admission. Referrals are triaged by the management team.
Key indicators that influence priority admissions for Respite or End-of-Life Care are as follows:
Respite Admission
Diagnosis of a life-limiting illness
The patient and/or their caregiver are experiencing existential distress.
The patient’s caregiver is burnt out and requiring respite.
The patient must have a confirmed discharge destination post-admission.
A respite admission is for 1 or 2 weeks depending on the circumstances. Respite at Wedgetail is not to be used to support aged care placement issues/limitations.
End-of-Life Admission
Patients’ prognosis is short weeks (6 weeks or less)
The patient and/or caregiver are no longer coping at home.
The patient does not wish to die at home or in the hospital.
Barriers to Admission
Patients who will not be accepted for admission include those that are combative, cognitively impaired, bariatric, have a potential to wander or have a mental health condition where one Registered Nurse cannot safely facilitate holistic care to all our patients. If you have concerns or questions regarding these parameters please contact our Charge RN on 02- 6672-8161
to organise before admission:
Prior to a Hospice admission we encourage families to have discussions regarding end-of-life care so that we can assess what is most important for their loved one. These discussions should include information on:
· Will and Executor of the Will
· An Advanced Care Directive for end-of-life wishes, such as a Not For Resuscitation Order
· Funeral arrangements
· Spiritual requirements
· Information on Enduring Power of Attorney and/or nominated Health Guardians
