Hosted by Palliative Care Sub-Group
This webinar will cover the first 30 minutes on the emerging role of dietitians in hospices followed by a 30 minutes talk by Dr Sally Boa's project presentation.
Speakers
- Dr Sally Boa, Head of Education, Research and Practice Development, Strathcarron Hospice.
Session title- Development of a multilingual European survey to explore perspectives about rehabilitation practice in palliative care: - Successes, challenges and opportunities
Session overview- This talk will describe the work of the EAPC task force which aims to increase awareness and understanding of a rehabilitative palliative care approach and identify and address barriers and facilitators to the integration and adoption of rehabilitative palliative care in practice.
More about Dr Sally Boa- Sally is Head of Education, Research and Practice Development at Strathcarron Hospice in Stirlingshire, Scotland. She worked as a Speech and Language Therapist in the NHS and third sector for over 20 years before completing her PhD, an investigation of goal setting practice in palliative care. Sally is passionate about the importance of multidisciplinary, person centred care and ensuring that the voice of the person and their family is heard.
- Francesca Tabacchi, Oncology Dietitian, Oxford Brookes University
Session title - The role of dietitians in hospice care: practical, patient-centred and evolving
Session overview - This session explores the evolving role of dietitians in hospice care, highlighting their contribution to supporting patients with life-limiting conditions and their families. Drawing on practical clinical experience, the session examines how nutritional priorities change throughout the palliative journey, with an emphasis on individualised care, symptom management, comfort and quality of life. It also considers the emotional and social significance of food, the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration, and opportunities for dietitians to contribute to service development. The webinar offers insights into the challenges and opportunities of hospice dietetics and the skills required to deliver compassionate, patient-centred nutritional care.
More about Francesca Tabacchi- RD with 10 years of experience, finished her PhD in oncology nutrition last year. Currently Chair of BDA palliative care group.
- Honor Blackwood, Specialist Dietitian, Strathcarron Hospice
Session title- Beyond the Scale: Developing a Person-Centred Nutritional Assessment and Care Plan for Hospice Care.
Session overview- This project describes the development and implementation of the Strathcarron Hospice Nutritional Assessment and Care Plan (SNAP), created following a review of existing nutritional screening practices within the In-Patient Unit. The hospice-specific tool considers food intake, symptoms, dietary needs, functional ability and required assistance, generating a triage score that guides appropriate care planning and specialist referral. A pilot programme, supported by nutrition champions, aims to assess the tool’s feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness in delivering more individualised nutritional care for patients throughout different phases of illness.
More about Honor Blackwood- Honor is a Registered Dietitian with over 16 years of experience across acute and community settings, with a strong interest in palliative and supportive care. Honor is particularly interested in the evolving role of dietitians in palliative care, including early supportive nutrition, realistic goal setting, and improving access to dietetic input across care pathways. She has recently joined the BDA Palliative Care Subgroup as secretary to contribute to shared learning and support continued development of dietetic practice within palliative and end-of-life care.
Cost
- Free for Oncology Specialist Group members
Admin code: SLA
