A Kinder ICU
Lien Foundation, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, National University Hospital are partnering to develop “A Kinder ICU”, which integrates palliative care into everyday ICU practices.
A visit to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is highly distressing. Its clean and sterile environment is a stark contrast to immense physical and emotional distress patients and their loved ones experience, as they wrestle with uncertainties of the patient’s prognosis. 20% of ICU patients die in the ICU. Yet for most ICU patients, palliative care is delivered too late – a median of 3 days before death.
A Kinder ICU aims to train 800 ICU professionals to deliver general palliative care, supported by the palliative care team, so that all patients with palliative care needs will receive palliative care early in their ICU journey:
- All patients will be regularly assessed for palliative care needs during their ICU stay. Complex cases get escalated early to the specialist palliative care team.
- Within 48 hours of ICU admission, families will be engaged to understand their concerns and care goals. Emotionally distressed family members will receive additional support.
- Art and music therapy will be introduced especially for patients who are non-communicative. A discretionary fund is set aside to improve caregivers’ experience with the ICU.
- To continue care beyond the ICU, care transitions will be carefully coordinated – to the general ward, palliative care ward, or discharged home to pass away in accordance with their preferences.
Explore Palliative Care
Oncordance
Integrating palliative care into surgical care for people with advanced cancer, and supporting them with cancer rehab.
Early Integration of Palliative Care Across Specialties & Settings
Lien Foundation has invested in 13 generalist palliative care programmes, enabling patients to benefit earlier in the disease trajectory.