A GAA medic has helped bring increased comfort to cancer patients in their final days through a major hospital ward renovation project.
Dr Con Murphy spearheaded a series of fundraisers which raised more than 300,000 euros, enabling an overhaul of the oncology unit at Cork University Hospital.
The funds, channelled through the hospital’s fundraising arm, CUH Charity, have created a comfort care suite for end-of-life patients with a separate sleeping area and kitchen for relatives, a family room and a youth room.
Now it is hoped the five-month project, designed and supervised by staff at EZ Living Interiors, can be replicated on other wards at the Wilton campus.
Mairead Lyons, the end-of-life care co-ordinator at CUH, said the initiative involved “vision, commitment and a shared goal” to enhance end-of-life care.
“It is the first of its kind at CUH, borne out of a commitment to improve the hospital environment, ensuring increased comfort for patients who are in their final days and weeks of life, and also for their loved ones,” she said.
The comfort care suite, once a single-patient room clinical environment, has been transformed into a homely sanctuary and now has an adjoining private family room with overnight accommodation and a kitchenette.
The family room has become a quiet space where patients and relatives can relax or talk away from the intensity of the hospital setting.
The youth room allows teenagers and young adults the opportunity for a temporary escape from the clinical environment to find solace in activities that allow them to recharge.
“We need to continue to allow families every opportunity to be together as they navigate their end-of-life care journey and we hope the comfort care suite will provide this for many years to come,” said Ms Lyons.
Retired GP Dr Murphy, physician to Cork GAA for more than four decades, said the transformation provided “a lovely addition” to the hospital.
He praised his legion of GAA contacts, who rowed in behind the fundraising effort, supporting three golf outings and a host of other events.
“We’re delighted with the result, but I think we need a few more of them, possibly on every floor, so we’re not finished yet,” he said.
