What is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is the total care of you and your family living with a life-limiting illness. This type of care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of the illness. The goal is the best possible quality of life for you and your family.
Many people mistakenly believe that you only receive palliative care when other treatments are no longer possible. However, providing palliative care at an early stage in a person’s illness can help to better manage symptoms and complications of the illness.
Specialist Palliative Care Teams become involved with your care when complex symptom management is required.
What Services do we Provide in the Inpatient Unit (IPU)?
You may sometimes hear the Inpatient Unit being referred to as the Hospice. The multi-disciplinary team (MDT) in the Inpatient Unit will consistently review your needs and make referrals to the relevant disciplines as appropriate to support your care. We offer holistic care that can be used alongside conventional medical care to provide comfort to you.
The multidisciplinary team is made up of:
- Nursing team
- Palliative medicine team
- Pastoral care
- Pharmacy team
- Social workers
- Occupational therapists
- Physiotherapists
- Creative arts therapists
- Complementary therapists
- Speech and language therapists
- Dietitian
Together with the MDT members, health care assistants and volunteers provide a vital role in the care and welfare of the patient while in Milford Care Centre.
Patient-centred care is at the core of our practice, ensuring care is meaningful, valuable, and respectful of individual needs, preferences, and values.
Eligibility Criteria for Access to Specialist Palliative Care Services
Patients with both:
- An advanced, progressive, life-limiting condition and
- Current or anticipated complexities relating to symptom control, end-of-life care planning, or other physical, psychosocial, or spiritual needs
Admission to the Inpatient Unit may be considered to:
- Help get difficult symptoms under control enabling you to return home feeling more comfortable (pain management).
- Rehabilitation to enable you to continue to live independently.
- Respite care to provide caregivers with an opportunity to recharge.
- Care as your illness progresses/advances towards the end of life.
Our Facility
- Spacious and purpose-built over two floors (Cara unit on the ground floor and Solas unit on the first floor).
- Single bedrooms with ensuite shower rooms, smart TV, air conditioning, and call bell facilities.
- Family day rooms for patients and visitors.
- Family overnight stay rooms (allocated by the Nurse Manager and reviewed daily).
- Restaurant open 08:30-15:30 (hot food until 2pm; a list of local restaurants is available for later meals).
- Chapel and non-denominational quiet contemplative room.
- Nature-based therapeutic gardens for patients, families, and visitors, including an internal garden accessible to all.
- Complimentary tea/coffee kitchen facility.
Who will take over my care when I am discharged?
The Multidisciplinary Team will discuss your discharge plan with you, your family (with your consent), and other healthcare professionals involved in your care (e.g., your GP, Public Health Nurse, or a hospital team).
When you are discharged, your GP will be in charge of your medical care. If you continue to have specialist palliative care needs, you may be referred to the Specialist Palliative Care Community Services (SPCCS) or Specialist Palliative Care Day Unit (SPCDU), who will work with your GP and Public Health Nurse to provide care at home.
Different healthcare staff within the SPCCS team may be involved in your care, including nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, social workers, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, and pastoral care.
The consultant-led team provides advice to your GP and other healthcare staff on symptom management, medications, and other concerns. A limited night nursing service is available on a case-by-case basis through an external agency, arranged by the specialist palliative care team.
Out-of-hours telephone advisory service for urgent queries:
(061) 485800 – Ask for centre cover.
Contact Us
Milford Care Centre
Plassey Park Road, Sreelane, Castletroy, Co. Limerick V94 H795
061 485 800
info@milfordcarecentre.ie (office hours)