Engagement & Partnerships
Palliative care is embedded in the social model of health involving the family, carers and the individual. It requires more than physical and medical care and a multi stakeholder approach. Palliative care involves an:
- approach, what we bring as individuals and health professionals. It is our philosophy of how we want to treat others and their families who are experiencing terminal illness; and
- interdisciplinary specialised palliative care, that is a team that can work effectively together to meet the diverse and complex needs of the palliative patient.
The palliative care approach and provision of specialist palliative care services requires intersectoral activity. One of the success factors for such activity is the identification and engagement of key stakeholders and the development of professional relationships. Partners can identify shared business where collaboration can improve access to quality palliative care services. This is particularly relevant to rural and remote communities that have limited resources shared across vast distances.
To assist in the development of intersectoral activity this section provides evidence for collaboration in rural palliative care. This section aims to provide a state by state snapshot of:
- key stakeholders and state context;
- service and planning structures, and
- palliative care activity and programs.
As commonwealth funded agencies, divisions are encouraged to recognise the contribution of the state governments in rural palliative and establish partnerships that can value add to states’ investment.
A 2005 report identified the key partners at State and Territory level. Successful program managers will find it useful to use this section to understand their state and local governments and partners.
Intersectoral activity in Victoria is provided at the state and division level to provide a case study of opportunities for the division’s program and individual divisions to make a difference in rural palliative care.
