Fast Track

Supportive Palliative Care is care given to improve the quality of life of patients with a terminal illness. The goal of supportive care is to prevent or treat as early as possible the symptoms of a terminal illness, side effects and psychological, social and spiritual problems related to terminal illness.

Patients in this category will have a prognosis of less than 6 months. Fast Track admissions must first be screened for suitability for admission by the Our Lady’s Hospice and Care Services Consultant Geriatrician or a Palliative Care Consultant who will determine suitability to refer for Fast Track.

Patients applying through the Fast Track (PC2) scheme must also apply for the Nursing Home Support Scheme (NHSS) at the same time. The patient will transfer to a NHSS (Fair Deal) category if their stay exceeds 20 weeks in a Fast Track bed. Only the category of how your bed will be funded will change, you will not have to move to another service. 

We consider all people with advanced chronic or terminal illness who:

1. Will benefit particularly from a Palliative Care approach.
2. Have a prognosis of less than six months.
3. Are dependent on nursing and medical care and for whom recovery to independent living is unlikely.
4. Are over the age of 65. These support beds are within a residential unit, and as such residents are generally over 65 years of age. Younger people are considered on a case-by-case basis.
5. Have specific needs that can be met by the unit.

All patients admitted into a Fast Track bed will be admitted under the care of the Consultant Geriatrician.

Our care team includes Doctors, Nurses, Care Assistants, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers, Complementary and Creative Arts Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Dieticians, Chaplaincy, Chiropodist and volunteers.

There is also a specialist Palliative Care support team.

Anna Gaynor House consists of single, twin and triple rooms.

Due to the demand on single rooms patients who will only accept a single room will experience a longer wait time for a bed.

Referrals for admission to Fast Track (PC2) beds will be made by submitting a referral form to the OLHCS Admissions Officer.

Referrals will be taken from:

• Acute Hospitals (With signature from a Geriatrician or Palliative Care Consultant)
• OLHCS Advanced Nurse Practitioners
• OLHCS Blackrock CPCT
• OLHCS Registered Palliative Care Patients.

All referrals require OLHCS Consultant Geriatrician or Palliative Care Consultant approval before submission..

All new referrals, which are normally submitted by a PC Consultant, are assessed by the admissions committee, chaired by the Consultant Geriatrician of the service. Decisions and outcomes are notified to the referring Doctor.

Because vacancies in Anna Gaynor House are only available occasionally, a waiting list is to be expected.

Certainly, you can arrange to visit the unit by contacting the Admissions Manager on 01 406 8790. Walk in visits cannot be accommodated.

Charges will be agreed with the patients’ accounts office on completion of the relevant Financial Assessment Form under Health (Charges for In-patient Services) Regulations 2005. Charges will be adjusted in line with government legislation or increases agreed at a national level.