Between May 28-31, 2025, two employees of CONCORDIA Academy participated in a job shadowing mobility within Terhokoti Hospice in Helsinki, Finland. The main objective of the visit was to understand how activities are organized in a reference palliative care centre and to identify best practices applicable in the context of our activities. Another important objective was the development of partnerships in the field of palliative care, which is why the participants connected with many organizations from different countries and renowned specialists in this field.
During the mobility, the participants got a close look at how the space is organized to provide the most suitable and comfortable environment for patients and caregivers, received a detailed overview of the Finnish education system and the training required for palliative care professionals. Terhokoti Hospice provides services to people with life-limiting illnesses – oncological, neurological or organ failure – through a multidisciplinary team of 45 professionals and 40 volunteers. Also during this period, the two participants had the opportunity to take part in World Congress of the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC), organized in Helsinki, which brought together experts and practitioners from all over the world.
During the congress, CONCORDIA Academia representatives attended the the official reception organized by the Helsinki City Hall, where they interacted with specialists in the field, including the Hospice Casa Speranței team, and met Scott Murray – Professor Emeritus in Palliative Care at the University of Edinburgh – to whom they presented the work of the Academy. This meeting opened up opportunities for future collaborations and projects. The event touched on key topics for the future of the field, such as improving the quality of online education in palliative care, the implications of general artificial intelligence, the care of refugees and migrants, the experiences of caregivers, increasing literacy in end-of-life care and identifying public policy gaps in the sector.
This experience has brought added value to the CONCORDIA Academy team, providing inspiration, resources and useful contacts for the development of our training and support activities in the social and palliative care field.
