New Culturally Responsive Palliative Care Education Project launched in Victoria

A Culturally Responsive Palliative Care Community Education project has been launched in Victoria by the Minister for Health David Davis.

Palliative Care Victoria has received $400,000 funding through the Strengthening Palliative Care policy to work with multicultural organisations to raise awareness of and access to palliative care for people with a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) background.

“We know that almost 24 per cent of Victorians were born overseas; however people from CALD backgrounds only account for seven per cent of palliative care clients,” Mr Davis said.

“We need to address this imbalance, and one way of doing this is by raising community awareness of death and end-of-life care, including palliative care. “Evidence tells us that applying best practice approaches to health promotion and peer education within CALD communities is an effective way of raising awareness.”

Mr David said the Culturally Responsive Palliative Care Community Education project would engage with the Chinese, Italian, Maltese, Turkish and Vietnamese communities.

“It’s important people from CALD backgrounds are accessing specialist palliative care appropriate to their needs at the right time, in the place of their choice,” Mr Davis said.

“We know people’s cultural needs are supported once they have accessed palliative care. “Our challenge is to improve the information about where people can enquire about palliative care and have information on hand describing the care options available.”