Simblija care home's holistic approach towards its residents

Charmaine Attard from Simblija care home recently spoke at an international conference about taking care of our loved ones when they need it the most 

Charmaine Attard
Charmaine Attard

Last week Charmaine Attard spoke at the Eighth International Conference on Geriatrics Gerontology and Palliative Nursing. Attard spoke to us about the conference and her talk about the holistic care approach that Simblija care home offers to inpatients.

Charmaine Attard:

Last week I spoke at the Eighth International Conference on Geriatrics Gerontology and Palliative Nursing which was held in Barcelona. This is an important conference for those of us in the sector, as it brings together doctors, healthcare educators, nurses, but also people from academia, researchers, innovators. The aim is to bring all relevant stakeholders in the room to discuss the most global prevailing problems in palliative care and most importantly discuss ideas or potential solutions to these issues.

In fact, I was invited to speak about the holistic care approach that our care home offers towards palliative care clients and the ability for Simblija care home to offer inpatient care to such clients. The approach I spoke about is resident-centric routed with respect and dignity. I believe the key in providing the best possible care to any resident is having the right people working within a multidisciplinary team. This is why at Simblija care home the team is made up of professional nurses, trained carers, doctors, physiotherapists and with the input of other allied professionals according to the resident’s need. Our hydrotherapy pool in Revive gives soothing relief to palliative patients who may otherwise be in too much pain to exercise on land.

As part of the multidisciplinary approach, we also involve NGOs such as the Malta Hospice who advise us about pain relief and patient comfort and on a more social level the K 9 Malta. The latter provide dog therapy, where thanks to the fantastic volunteers of K9 our residents can enjoy some “animal time. Unlike people, dogs do not require to chat. All they need is some attention and love. And given that release from the obligation to interact, many times even because of the pain they may be in, residents really enjoy their time with the animals. Studies, in fact, show that this interaction between man and animals can offer much-needed relief and comfort. 

Another key element of our holistic approach is to keep the families involved in the resident’s care through being able to accompany the resident throughout the day and involve themselves with the resident in community events.  This means that residents can be able to join in social activities until the end. Our activity coordinator organizes a monthly schedule of events directed at all types of clients and their families.

I was proud and honored to present our work at this international conference and have the ability to network with some of the best researchers and educators in this sector.