Skin care presents huge challenges when caring for palliative patients. This session will present palliative measures to consider when providing / planning skincare for the palliative patient, including topical morphine for pain relief with wounds.
The skin is the largest organ of the body and is vulnerable to wound development as a person deteriorates and their internal systems begin to fail. Maintaining skin integrity poses a challenge, and wound management raises many questions. The physical symptoms and local problems associated with broken skin and wounds include pain, odour, exudate, excoriation, pruritus and bleeding. Psychologically a person's whole wellbeing can be negatively affected, creating body image issues, embarrassment, fear and barriers to relationships, family distress, ultimately affecting quality of life.
This session will be delivered by Lynne Hooper, First Contact Triage Nurse. Lynne has worked at St Clare Hospice for nine years, as a staff nurse, team leader and IPU manager. Lynne's background is in community nursing, having previously worked as a Community Nurse. for 10 years, for the Loughton District Nurses service.
