Bellarine Community Health’s (BCH) palliative care team held a special memorial service for those who lost their lives during the pandemic.
Many families were unable to hold a funeral for their loved one or celebrate their loved one’s life in a group setting during the pandemic.
BCH supported many families during the pandemic and last week patients and families in the care of the BCH Palliative Care team during the past 12 months
were remembered.
BCH invited 130 family groups to attend the memorial and light a candle for their loved one.
“It was so special to be able to reconnect with some of the families we have supported and share with them a moment of reflection about their loved ones,” BCH nurse practitioner Sue Berry said.
Grief counsellor Tara McKinty, former BCH palliative care consultant Dr David Brumley and the Tides of Welcome Choir also took part in the proceedings. The service was supported by volunteers from Compassionate Hearts on the Bellarine.
A reduction in face-to-face consultations with specialists and GPs during the height of the pandemic and fear and anxiety around going into hospital has led to more demand for BCH community-based services. The team is now seeing more than double the number of patients they were in 2019.
“Palliative care isn’t just about end-of-life care,” nurse Sue Berry said.
“It’s an approach that improves the quality of life for patients of all ages and their families, who are facing problems associated with life limiting illness.
“More and more people are wanting to die at home, and we are there to support them.”
BCH hopes to do a memorial service annually as a further support to the families they care for.
The BCH team is made up of a nurse practitioner and two specialist community palliative care nurses, along with a newly appointed social worker/counsellor.
The team is supported more broadly through the BCH Community Nursing team and an occupational therapist.
