Palliative Care Funding Available to Aged Care Facilities

Federal Government will fund aged care facilities throughout Australia to form collaborative ties with palliative care services through the Decision Assist Linkages project.
Led by Queensland University of Technology's (QUT) Patsy Yates, the $1.5 million project will see 20 collaborative relationships established to ensure all older people, regardless of the circumstances they live in, have access to palliative care.
"We all get older and many of us will need end-of-life care, but not everyone has access to services that are appropriate for their cultural or linguistic backgrounds," Ms Yates said.
"In Brisbane, for example, many clients of community care organisation Footprints are homeless or live in boarding houses, supported accommodation or public housing and their deteriorating health needs often aren't detected until crisis point.
"Many might also have complex mental health issues and historically neither aged care nor homeless services have been able to respond to their end-of-life needs. Footprints will establish firm links with other aged care and palliative care providers.
"There will also be major projects in each state to address particular areas of need.
"In NSW the aim is to ensure services to rural and remote, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island and culturally and linguistically diverse communities across the state. Appropriate services for the LGBTI communities in the Tweed Heads region will also be a focus.
"This project aims to reduce inappropriate hospital admission and upskill staff so they can identify patients in need of palliative care."
The Decision Assist Program  is managed by a consortium of national health and aged care organisations, including Respecting Patient Choices (lead agency), Palliative Care Australia, CareSearch, the University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, the Australian and New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine, Leading Age Services Australia (LASA), and Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA).
It provides education and support to GPs and aged care staff nationally to improve advance care planning and end-of-life care for all older Australians.
"It also includes a 24/7 telephone advisory service for health professionals, a dedicated website with all the latest information and advice about advance care planning and palliative care and specialised workshops."
Professor Yates is also chief investigator for the NHMRC-funded Centre for Research Excellence in End of Life Care