Hospice Ukraine - Caring for the Caregivers

Summary

This project will deliver specialized palliative care training sessions and workshops for carers who are supporting a terminally ill relative, neighbour or friend at home in Kyiv and Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine. The practical workshops will upskill the carers and give them the tools they need to better care for their sick relative, resulting in a better quality of life. The workshops and training sessions will be delivered by our experienced palliative care teams in both locations.

$15,000
total goal

$14,880
remaining

3
donors

0
monthly donors

2
months

Challenge

Thousands of patients in Ukraine need palliative care, but due to the war and overstretched health services, only a small percentage currently receive it. Our mobile palliative care teams in Kyiv and Ivano-Frankivsk care for more than 200 patients at any one time but to help more patients, we want to run workshops for caregivers, as it is often family members that shoulder the biggest burden of caring. They also lack access to basic aids such as dressings, pressure sore mattresses and pampers.

Solution

The project will deliver 12 x 3 week structured, practical palliative care workshops for caregivers in Kyiv and Ivano-Frankivsk at our out-patient centers. Training will focus on practical tasks such as lifting, oral hygiene, the patient's physical health and communication issues. By providing this training and basic aids such as pressure sore mattresses, dressings and nutrition supplements, caregivers will be better supported and more able to cope at home, with the backup of the mobile teams.

Long-Term Impact

This idea is a new concept in Ukraine, and will serve as a model that can be replicated in other parts of the country. Caregivers of patients with a severe illness are a neglected group in the country. As long as the war continues, there will be a resource gap in the health and social services in the country, and giving more support to caregivers will help bridge this gap. Placing more emphasis on this need will also contribute towards building a more compassionate society.