Over half (56%) of adults in the Republic of Ireland feel fearful when they hear the term palliative care, according to a survey of the public’s perceptions of palliative care commissioned by the All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC).
The survey of 1,000 people in the Republic of Ireland carried out in July 2024, also highlighted a number of the positive perceptions that exist about palliative care:
Nearly 8 in 10 (79%) adults think palliative care also supports the family and carers of someone with a life-limiting condition
- 7 in 10 (71%) adults think palliative care can benefit people over long periods and not just end of life
- Over 6 in 10 (65%) adults think palliative care will help them to make decisions about their future care
- Almost 8 in 10 (78%) adults feel reassured that palliative care could help them or someone close to them
AIIHPC CEO, Karen Charnley, said. “We see from our research that there is still a lot of apprehension around palliative care. It is understandable as thinking about potentially needing to avail of palliative care support for ourselves or those closest to us is difficult, but we are encouraging individuals and communities to learn more about how palliative care supports quality of life of people with life-limiting conditions by meeting their physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs. We want to promote a greater understanding of the supports available in communities across the island of Ireland as people being informed about palliative care will make it easier for them to access the services on offer and make decisions about their own care and that of those close to them.”
An Taoiseach, Simon Harris said, “I am not one bit surprised by the overwhelmingly positive sentiment uncovered by the independent research and know the network of professionals, organisations and hospices working in palliative care throughout our country are simply extraordinary. The research also offers an insight into the hesitation many feel around the term palliative care so it’s important to highlight the spiritual, physical, emotional and family benefits of care that supports people with life-limiting conditions.”
Evidence suggests that between 75% and 80% of people who die have conditions that would benefit from some palliative care services, with the potential to support their quality of life for weeks, months and years.
- In the Republic of Ireland, there is estimated 68%-84% increase in people dying with a palliative care need between 2016 and 2046
- In 2023, within the Republic of Ireland,
- Just over 14,000 patients received specialist palliative care services in the community
- There were 87,000 Clinical Nurse Specialists and staff nurse visits to patients in the year
- A total of 4,150 patients received specialist inpatient palliative care services
- Specialist palliative care (SPC) teams in acute hospitals received over 12500 referrals
- An average of 70 children/ month are in the care of the SPC team in CHI
