Barriers to accessing quality palliative care – community consultations

  • Woman's hand on older male hand

Australian Healthcare Associates (AHA) has been engaged by the Australian Government Department of Health to explore the barriers that people may experience in accessing quality palliative care.

Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness. This is done through the prevention and relief of suffering by early identification, assessment and treatment of pain and other physical, psychosocial and spiritual problems (World Health Organization).

The project focuses on nine groups of people who are under-served or have complex needs. AHA would like to hear from people living in rural and remote Australia who may be from one (or more) of these groups  – whether you have experience of palliative care services or not:
•    people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex (LGBTI);
•    people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds;
•    Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people;
•    people with a disability;
•    people experiencing homelessness;
•    veterans;
•    refugees;
•    people who have been incarcerated; and
•    care leavers (which includes Forgotten Australians, Former Child Migrants and Stolen Generations) and people affected by forced adoption or removal.

AHA would like to hear your thoughts on end of life and palliative care, barriers to access, and how services could be improved. You can talk to AHA representatives on the phone or in person, or be part of a group discussion. Anything you tell AHA will be kept anonymous.

To book an appointment or telephone interview, or for more information, phone Greer or Shae at AHA on 1300 788 667 (local call cost) or email [email protected].  

 

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