The motor neurone disease Victoria shared care worker role for the Gippsland region care consortium

In 2009 Motor Neurone Disease Victoria (M NOVic) and the Department of Human Services provided funding, training and support for a unique service for those patients with Motor Neurone Disease who are Registered Palliative Care clients. The aim is for people living with MND in Victoria to have access to palliative care health professionals who are supported by someone with advanced knowledge of MND. Each Palliative Consortium in Victoria now has a MND Shared Care Worker (SCW), who has undergone an intensive education program in liaison with MND Vic and Calvary Health Care Bethlehem. Jane Law and I job-share the SCW position for Gippsland Region Palliative Care Consortium.

Our role is to support other palliative care workers and community providers when caring for a client with MND; support patients with MND; promote the need for early referral to palliative care for patients with MND and assist them understand goals and approaches of palliative care; and assist in the delivery of comprehensive and coordinated care to people with MND.

The rationale of the role is to assist clients to adjust to an incurable disease with many complexities on a physical, psychosocial and spiritual level, whilst they need to navigate a complex health system with a confusing array of health professionals involved in their care, all at the same time.

Also provided by MND Vic is Top-Up Funding for MNO clients (90 days palliative care registration required) to improve their Quality Of Life in the community; and for every acute hospital admission.

8430 - The motor neurone disease Victoria shared care worker role for the Gippsland region care consortium (215kb pdf).

8430 - PDF Of Abstract (23kb pdf).