History
The Palliative Care Unit at the Thoraxklinik Heidelberg was established in July 2006 within the Oncology Department. The clinic is included in the University Hospital of Heidelberg and part of the National Centre of Tumour Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg, as its certified lung cancer centre. The aim of the Palliative Care Unit is to support patients and their families facing a life-threatening and symptom-burdening disease in a multi-professional approach.
Profile
The Palliative Care Unit is installed in a separate, newly re-stored building on the hospital campus embedded in the clinic´s own park. The ward consists of 12 single, restored patient rooms including handicapped access bathrooms and a separate access to a terrace or balcony in most of the rooms.
The size of each room allows the placement of a second bed for a family member. Additionally, the ward offers a separate living room with its own kitchenette, a wellness bathroom, a large roof terrace and a room of silence for spiritual care and valediction.
Specialities
- palliative chemo- or radiotherapy, if compatible with patient´s life quality
- psycho-oncologic support for patients and their families
- physiotherapy and respiratory care
- nutritional support and advice
- dog-guided therapy
- aromatherapy
- music therapy
Palliative and Supportive Care
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14 full-time and one part-time nurses inclusive a of palliative coordinator
- seven physicians certified in palliative medicine
- spiritual care by one catholic priest and two half-day protestant pastors
- close collaboration with the regional hospices
- organisation of post-hospital care with home care services
- palliative telephone hotline for (re-) admittance of patients
- palliative consulting service consisting of palliative physician and coordinator
- 24-hour on-call duty administered by clinical physicians certified in palliative medicine
- various medical and nursing teaching and hospitation activities, bedside teaching for medical students in dyads
Last update: December 2020
