(November 15th 2016) Tallaght Hospital through the generous support of the Volunteer Services to the Hospital are rolling out spiral symbols to be placed in all wards around the building. These framed images represent End of Life care and it is hoped that their presence will increase people’s awareness of patients in the ward who are undergoing this care and the need to act appropriately.
The spiral symbol is used by the Hospice Friendly Hospital programme of which Tallaght Hospital is a member since 2007, to identify items connected with End of Life care. Its use aims to add greater respect, and dignity to items used following the death of a person. The symbol is inspired by ancient Irish history and represents the interconnected cycle of life - birth, life and death. The image is set against a purple background, symbolising nobility and is non-denominational.
This spiral is displayed in the main atrium at Tallaght Hospital to inform all staff and visitor of its important communication function, as well as in all clinical areas and departments to inform staff and visitors when a person is dying or has died. The symbol also appears on a number of resources including a mortuary trolley drape for transporting the deceased person’s body, a family handover bag used to return the belongings of a deceased person and a display sign on doors, curtains and the Nurses station to notify staff and visitors that a person has died within the ward or unit.
Carol Roe, Head of the Tallaght Hospital Volunteer Service, said; “End of Life care is an important part of every hospital and it is important to show respect for the person who is dying or has died, and their families. By displaying this spiral symbol we are helping to respectfully inform staff, visitors and others of the presence of these patients and to remind people of the importance of appropriate behaviour In effect, it is a visible reminder to show respect and dignity in practical ways.”
Hilary Daly, Director of Nursing at Tallaght Hospital, said; “I wish to thank the Volunteer Service at Tallaght Hospital for raising the funding to support this new installation. As well as highlighting the presence of End of Life patients, it will also help to increase the visibility of the selfless and trojan work undertaken by the Volunteer Service. We hope that by spreading information on the matter we will help to inform other patients of their presence and the correct behaviour that should be observed.”
About Tallaght Hospital
Tallaght Hospital is one of Ireland’s largest acute teaching hospitals, providing child-health, adult, psychiatric and age-related healthcare on one site. The Hospital has 495 adult beds and 67 paediatric beds, a staff of 2,600 people and an annual gross budget in excess of €0.25bn. The Hospital is a provider of local, regional and national specialities. It is a national urology centre, the second largest provider of dialysis services in the country and a regional orthopaedic trauma centre.
Tallaght Hospital is a major teaching hospital of Trinity College Dublin - specialising in the training and professional development of staff in nursing, health and social care, emergency medicine and surgery, amongst many others. The Hospital is part of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group which serves a population of over 1.2 million across seven counties.
A new satellite centre is to be built at Tallaght Hospital as part of the New Children’s Hospital project and will be a key element of an integrated clinical network for paediatric services nationally.
The Hospital’s Emergency Departments catered for 45,551 Adult Attendances and 32,272 Paediatric Attendances in 2015. A further 206,169 patients were treated through the Hospital’s outpatient clinics in 2015. The Hospital’s operations are supported by 200 general practitioners in surrounding communities.
