Michal Boyd

Dr Michal Boyd is a Nurse Practitioner in Aged Care Primary Health and Clinical Leader for Community Services for Older Adults through Waitemata District Health Board (WDHB), and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland Freemasons’ Dept. of Geriatric Medicine.

She has extensive experience in the care of older people living in the community and has been involved in the development of programmes that increase coordination of care across the health care system for high risk older people.

Michal is currently working with the DHB/Residential Aged Care Integration project with an aim to improve the coordination between WDHB services and residential aged care. Before Dr Boyd immigrated to New Zealand in 2002, she was a WDSEW.  She previous practicing Nurse Practitioner in the United States working in primary healthcare for older adults and Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

Palliative approach as old age approaches
Friday 31 October, 8.30am

Contrary to earlier definitions, palliative care is not only for people where death is imminent, but also for those that face long term debilitating diseases other than cancer, that have a terminal phase. These are progressive in nature and common to many older people in residential aged care.

These diagnoses include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Alzheimer’s disease, and acute massive cerebrovascular accident, to name a few.

In New Zealand, approximately 40% of residents in aged care facilities survive less than 12 months after admission. This fact requires that the care focus on improving quality of life, comfort, and excellent nursing care is required to address issues such as pain, skin integrity, hydration, elimination and nutrition, and early detection of avoidable complications.

In Australia, the care needed for residents of aged care facilities has been viewed as aligning with a palliative care approach. Evidenced-based guidelines have been developed that provide an excellent framework for nurses and caregivers to enhance their care in residential aged care facilities.

This presentation will discuss the evidence base behind implementing a palliative approach in residential aged care which is a new initiative in Waitemata DHB to promote the integration of a palliative approach into the care for residents of aged care facilities.