| Effective Term: | 2025/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
| Unit Title: | Supportive and Palliative Care of the Older Person |
| Unit ID: | HEALA6403 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 060311 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
Palliative care plays an increasingly vital role in our healthcare system. To effectively address the diverse needs of patients, healthcare professionals require the knowledge and skills to provide comprehensive palliative care. This unit is designed to deepen students' understanding of the unique needs of older individuals and their families as they approach the end of life. In addition, this unit aims to equip students with the ability to embrace a supportive and holistic palliative approach, enhance students' comprehension of the various components of palliative care, as well as services and interdisciplinary approaches aimed at improving the quality of life for patients and their families throughout the progression of their life-limiting condition. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: No |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | |  | | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | | | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Demonstrate advanced knowledge surrounding the integration of palliative care and the older person. |
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| K2. | Describe the key principles and concepts of palliative care of the older person. |
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| K3. | Analyse factors such as social, emotional, cultural, and spiritual practices that influence palliative care in the older person. |
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| K4. | Understand grief and loss in a palliative care context to support the person, family, and self-care. |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Undertake and evaluate comprehensive assessment appropriate to the person requiring palliative and/or end-of-life care. |
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| S2. | Demonstrate skills in decision-making and referral as part of a multidisciplinary team. |
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| S3. | Demonstrate enhanced communication and interpersonal skills when caring for persons and their families requiring palliative and/or end-of-life care. |
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| S4. | Initiate, plan, implement, and evaluate skilled, safe, and competent professional practice within a palliative care context. |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Utilise critical thinking and clinical reasoning to apply evidence-based practices to provide patient-centred care within a palliative care context. |
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| A2. | Implement strategies to support the person and family’s need for privacy, dignity, and respect as well as their right to be informed and to make decisions regarding their care. |
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| A3. | Employ reflective practice strategies to develop an understanding of palliative care. |
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| Unit Content: |
Topics may include:
1. Introduction and history of palliative care.
2. Principles and practice of palliative care.
3. Working within multidisciplinary teams.
4. Supportive decision-making.
5. Psychosocial considerations.
6. Person-centred care
7. Screening and planning care.
8. Care of the imminently dying person.
9. Grief and bereavement on staff. |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students will demonstrate high-level skills to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups Students will be required to display (in person and/or online) high-level skills in-person and/or online in: • Effective verbal and non-verbal communication via a range of synchronous and asynchronous methods • Active listening for meaning and influencing • High-level empathy for others • Negotiating and demonstrating extended conflict resolution skills • Working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students will demonstrate the ability to apply leadership skills and behaviours Students will be required to display skills in: • Creating, contributing to, and enabling collegial environments • Showing self-awareness and the ability to self-reflect for personal growth • Inspiring and enabling others • Making informed and evidence-based decisions through consultation with others • Displaying initiative and ability to solve problems | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students will demonstrate an ability to work in complex and ambiguous environments, using their imagination to create new ideas Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically on complex problems • Synthesising, evaluating ideas, concepts and information • Proposing alternative perspectives to refine ideas • Challenging conventional thinking to clarify concepts through deep inquiry • Proposing creative solutions in problem solving | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students will demonstrate the ability to work proficiently across a range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks Students will be required to display high-level skills in: • Finding, accessing, collating, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and appropriately and securely sharing complex digital information at a high-level • Receiving and responding to messages in a range of digital media • Using digital tools appropriately to conduct research • Contributing proficiently to digital teams and working groups • Participating in and utilising digital learning opportunities | 3 - N/A | FEDTASK 5
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students will demonstrate the ability to think ethically and sustainably. Students will be required to display skills in: • The responsible conduct of research • Making informed judgments that consider the impact of devising solutions in multiple global economic environmental and societal contexts • Demonstrating commitment to social responsibility as a professional and a citizen • Generating research solutions which are sustainable,ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable • Extending lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to diverse others • Demonstrate extended actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life. | 1 - Yes |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K2, S2, S4, A1 | Undertake a series of scaffolded online activities exploring issues, concepts, and principles in supportive and palliative care | Online activity | 40-60 % | | 2. | K3, K4, S1, S3, S4, A1, A2, A3 | Critical analysis of a case study exploring issues, concepts, and principles in supportive and palliative care | Written task | 40-60% |
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