The French Society for Support and Palliative Care (SFAP) is launching training courses in France on Monday 16 January entitled "
Last aid
" to raise awareness of support for people at the end of life, convinced that this "
taboo
" subject does not only concern medical staff.
Divided into four modules entitled "
dying is part of life
", "
planning and deciding
", "
suffering, relieving
" and "
saying goodbye
", "
Last aid
" is the French version of "
Last Aid
", training launched by a doctor German and today established in twenty countries.
“The need is enormous”
Delivered by a pair made up of a caregiver and a non-caregiver, both experienced in palliative care, the free training is "
accessible to everyone from the age of 16
", told AFP Claire Fourcade, doctor of palliative care and president of Sfap.
They can be offered to relatives of people in nursing homes as well as to students or companies.
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“
The need is enormous
,” she insists.
“
There is a great lack of knowledge among the general public on these subjects, which gives the impression to many people that this question of end-of-life support is a purely medical question, which concerns caregivers, whereas it concerns us all
”, underlines the doctor.
“
If we want people to be better supported, we all have to get involved
,” she says.
SFAP unfavorable to euthanasia
The first training sessions will take place in the North, Doubs, Ile-de-France and Centre-Val de Loire, but the SFAP hopes to be able to set up a network throughout France.
It is neither a discussion group nor a place for political debate, insists Claire Fourcade.
The “
Last Aid
” training sessions address very practical issues, such as mouth care or massages that can be given to people at the end of life, when their loved ones often do not dare to touch them.
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A citizens' convention on the end of life is currently looking into the question of a possible change in French law.
The SFAP is for its part “
not in favor of caregivers being involved in the act of causing death
”, indicates Dr. Fourcade.
The priority is “
universal access to palliative care because currently only a third of patients who need it have access to it
,” she insists.
