Julie Maihi-Taniora knows all too well the value of palliative care nurses.
“When I first heard that they wanted to put me in palliative care, I thought ‘that’s just end of life’,” she said.
“But it actually isn’t. It’s helping you enjoy life ’til the end of life, which is absolutely amazing.”
For those who are able to access regular palliative care, it can make the final weeks and months more positive and comfortable. For the community, it eases the pressure on overstretched hospitals.
Palliative carers have not just helped Ms Maihi-Taniora deal with the physical pain of pancreatic cancer, but also the mental toll terminal illness can take.
They’ve also helped her plan for her death. Ms Maihi-Taniora hopes she can die at home.
“It’s actually quite funny because when you’ve got mortality staring you in the face, it’s like OK, now I’ve got a choice of what I want to happen whereas if I was in a car accident, there is no choice,” she said.
Her experience has been a meaningful one, but others are missing out on having the same support.
Source: ABC News