Pilbara RPC Project
ABOUT THE REGION
Population: 40,000 people (4 main towns, 4 lesser towns and approximately 15 indigenous communities).
Area: 505,000 km2
Features:
- The main coastal town of Karratha is 1600km north of Perth.
- The population is expected to grow to 47,000 by 2011.
- Life expectancy m/f is 76/83, below the state mean of 79/85.
- 8.3% of the population is aged over 65 yrs.
REASONS FOR THE PROGRAM
- At least 20 Pilbara sites that routinely need consideration re any service delivery.
- There is no formal education, training or record keeping.
- There are no formal GP <?> Nurse conferences.
- There is a lack of confidence by Perth tertiary hospitals in discharging patients back to the Region for the terminal stages of a patient?s life because of the lack of a formal and coordinated Pilbara Palliative Care Program.
- No training and management of a local volunteer base.
- There is currently no locally appropriate resource literature for health professionals and the general community.
- There are insufficient Resources to be loaned as needed. (Community beds, wheelchairs etc)
- There is no 24-hour access for the region.
- There is no comprehensive and single database of need or service. There are at least 17 current palliative care patients in the Pilbara.
CULTURAL
Significant cultural groups in the Pilbara include Indigenous (16.5%), Caucasian, Muslim, Philippino, Thai & Maori
For further information on this project please contact: Palliative Care Project Coordinator, Pilbara DGP on 08 9185 6662 email: info@pdgp.com.au
