Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians have a higher mortality rate than non Indigenous Australians, with funerals in communities, a regular occurrence. Indigenous Australians experience a lower life expectancy of any minority in a first world country and unexpected deaths are common. Evidence suggests advance care planning would be of enormous assistance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients and their families who are experiencing chronic illnesses such as cancer1.
In previous projects Aboriginal Workers(AWs) in the Border Hume Region of Victoria and NSW, have identified a knowledge gap around accessing and understanding palliative care services, advance care planning, making a will, power of attorney and other end of life issues. As a result of the identified gap, Hume Regional Integrated Cancer Service (Hume RICS) has received funding from the Victorian Aboriginal Palliative Care Collaborative to promote awareness of supportive and palliative care for Aboriginal people in the Hume region of Victoria. This outcome will be achieved by facilitating four local educational forums in collaboration with local palliative care teams, Aboriginal organisations and supportive care services. The target audience are Aboriginal and mainstream workers who provide support for Aboriginal clients. The topics will cover issues such as financial assistance, funeral plans, advance care planning and palliative care support which AWs have identified. To provide further education, the Hume regions’ palliative care teams will provide the opportunity for Aboriginal workers to undertake placements in palliative care following attendance at a forum.
It is envisaged by increasing the Aboriginal workers knowledge around palliative care and end of life issues, more Aboriginal people will have an awareness of the benefits of advance care planning and access the support available from palliative care teams, which is a key priority of Koolin Balit, the Victorian statewide action plan for Aboriginal health2.