A new palliative care resource has been launched empowering the provision of palliative care at home for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The Palliative Care Clinic Box draws on 18-months of nationwide consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, and health professionals in specialist and generalist palliative care services.

Project Director, Professor Liz Reymond says the resources support at-home palliative care symptom management through a range of tailored, practical tools and information.

“Care at home is often preferred to help connect family, culture, community, Country and the spiritual wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” Ms Reymond says.

This project is funded by the Australian Government and led by Brisbane South Palliative Care Collaborative, and draws on input from Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives, Caring@Home, and Palliative Care Australia.

Palliative Care Australia CEO, Camilla Rowland says, “people managing life limiting illness often want to be close to the people they consider family and be on Country or other places that are important to them, that is especially important to First Nations culture.”

“The Palliative Care Clinic Box extends the choices people have and allows people to make the most of every moment of the life they have left – that’s what drives palliative care.”

The Palliative Care Clinic Box contains a range of hard copy resources for families, health professionals, and clinical services to support families managing a range of symptoms, including safely giving subcutaneous medicines.

Appropriate resources can be selected from the Clinic Box to meet the needs of individual families.

The Caring@Home Palliative Care Clinic Box is free and can be ordered now from www.caringathomeproject.com.au