CareSearch, Australia’s major source of evidence-based palliative care information, has today launched a national campaign designed to increase community awareness of palliative care as well as highlighting the importance of accessibility.
Ahead of World Hospice and Palliative Care day on Saturday October 10, CareSearch is launching the Part of Life campaign to encourage all Australians to learn, care, and plan for death and dying.
The campaign includes a focus on end-of-life care that is inclusive and accessible.
“Death and dying will affect all of us. It’s a part of life. And that means everyone has a role to play in palliative care,” CareSearch Director Professor Jennifer Tieman said.
“With intellectual disability affecting approximately 1-3% of the population, we know that palliative care needs to be flexible and available to everyone who needs it.
“This is particularly important for adults with intellectual disabilities who might not otherwise use palliative care services. Understanding what is involved and how to talk about it can make it more likely that someone will receive palliative care.
“Collectively, we are still working toward the ideal that palliative care is accessible for everyone and part of that is making sure that we can provide the right information in the right format.”
CareSearch provides evidence, information, and practical palliative care resources for everyone involved in providing care or supporting people at the end of life.
Under the National Palliative Care Strategy, six guiding principles have been identified as fundamental to ensure that all people experience the palliative care they need. The CareSearch Part of Life campaign therefore highlights six important elements of palliative care:
o Pallliative care is person-centred
o Death is a part of life
o Carers are valued
o Care is accessible
o Everyone has a role
o Care is evidence-based
“The Part of Life campaign will further support the Talking End of Life (TEL) online toolkit which helps people with an intellectual disability by showing how to talk about the end of life,” Professor Tieman said.
“TEL is designed for disability support professionals but is also helpful for families, health professionals, and educators.”
The CareSearch project is funded by the Australian Government under the 2020-2023 National Palliative Care Program and CareSearch is managed by Flinders University.
