Palliative Care
How Is Climate Change Affecting Palliative Care?
People nearing the end of their lives are more vulnerable to extreme weather changes such as heat waves or very cold weather. Heatwaves, for instance, can cause issues such as pressure sores, dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. This can make it harder to get comfortable at home or in hospitals or care homes, and difficult to enjoy a good quality of life.
Air pollution can make people with lung conditions feel more unwell, for example with worse breathlessness. Worsening floods and storms causes logistical challenges, such as visiting loved ones and being able to provide the care required.
Future pandemics are more likely with climate change. As seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, we know this can have a massive impact on people with a short time left to live.
How is Palliative Care Affecting Climate Change?
People in the last year of life often need a lot of healthcare support. This is to be expected and often very appropriate and necessary. We do know that sometimes people receive care, such as appointments, tests and scans, that won’t change how their condition is managed. Through Advance Care Planning conversations, palliative care can help to make sure people receive only the healthcare they want and need.
Sometimes doctors prescribe too many medications for people who are near the end of their life. We try to keep this in mind and keep reviewing medicines regularly, using the medicines patients have already got, and making sure medicines not needed any more are disposed of properly.
Some care for patients at the end of life takes place in hospices, and in common with the NHS and other healthcare organisations, many are looking at how their buildings are heated and powered to reduce their impact.
Discussion Ideas with Patients and Colleagues
Patients:
"Heatwaves and cold spells caused by climate change can be really difficult to manage. Have you thought about how things are at home and where you could get some support from?"
"We know people can end up with a lot of tablets and get frustrated by the waste- can you show me all the medications you have so we don’t prescribe things you don’t need?"
Colleagues
"Do we have a Green/Sustainability Group? Are the right people part of it, including senior leaders?"
"Could we include sustainability as part of all Quality Improvement Projects?"
"How could we be an example through our own actions to help improve the environmental impact of our work?"
Highest Impact Actions for Palliative Care Departments
Embed climate change and healthcare sustainability in all governance and educational sessions
Set up a "Green Group" to engage all staff in sustainable healthcare practises
Use Sustainable Quality Improvement Projects to encourage and highlight decarbonisation solutions in your department
Think about taking part in the Greener Palliative Care Award scheme - Click on the link below for updates from the Association for Palliative Medicine.
For More Information
To network and share ideas, visit the Palliative Care Sustainability Network, part of the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare