Barby/Schönebeck. She supports terminally ill patients right up until their death and stands by their families – for her dedication to palliative care, GP Annette Schmalenberger from Schönebeck has been awarded the Badge of Honour of the State of Saxony-Anhalt. The award was presented a few days ago by District Administrator Markus Bauer on behalf of the state government. To do so, he visited the dedicated doctor at her GP practice in Barby.
The District Administrator says: "Mrs Schmalenberger deserves our recognition and respect for her outstanding achievements and tireless commitment to palliative care. Her work is exemplary for society, because she deals with the fates of others and gives strength to terminally ill patients and their relatives at an extremely difficult time for everyone."
The qualified doctor is one of the few specialists in palliative medicine in Saxony-Anhalt. Since 2010, she has been a member of the network Specialised Outpatient Palliative Care Salzlandkreis in cooperation with the palliative care network of the Pfeiffersche Stiftungen Magdeburg.
The aim of the network is to maintain the quality of life of terminally ill people for as long as possible and to enable them to live and die at home. To this end, it works together with GPs, psychologists, pastoral care workers, specialised care services, medical supply stores, pharmacies and voluntary hospice services. They all ensure that those affected and their relatives receive the necessary counselling, guidance and support.
Due to the demographic development and the inevitable debate about an existence in a state of care, Annette Schmalenberger is in favour of creating spatial conditions in hospitals and care facilities that meet the needs of the dying and their relatives. Another important concern for her is the construction of hospice facilities in which people can be accompanied with dignity on their final journey.
In regular lectures and presentations, the doctor advocates being clear at an early stage about how you would like to be treated in the event of a serious accident or illness. This is why she believes it is extremely important to have a power of attorney in place.
Annette Schmalenberger had nominated an employee from her practice for the award. District Administrator Markus Bauer also thanked her. "Many people, like Mrs Schmalenberger, are committed in an outstanding way - without the public knowing about it. It is important to show that we have many great people in the Salzland district who are committed to helping others."