West Vic RPC Project
ABOUT THE REGION
Population: 80,000 people (4 small rural cities, 20 small communities)
Area: 62,500 km2
Features:
- 11 Local Government areas.
- 20% of population aged over 65.
- 26-33% population live alone.
- 75 General Practitioners.
- 25 Practices across 31 sites.
- 12 Solo practices across 16 sites.
- 16 Female GPs.
- 27 Overseas Trained GPs.
- The Division in conjunction with the local Aboriginal Cooperative (Goolum Goolum) has established a primary care clinic.
- GP conducted weekly 4 hour session in Goolum Goolum
- There are two funded hospice beds in the Division.
REASONS FOR THE PROGRAM
- No education for GPs, pharmacists, staff in acute and aged care facilities, allied health and the community.
- No cross-cultural training for palliative care agency staff and volunteers.
- No Palliative care education for Koori communities and palliative care training for Koori Health and HACC workers and hospital liaison officers.
- Issues for carers include distance and isolation (especially for farming families), getting equipment to farms and carer anxiety over pain management.
- Distances patients have to travel to seek medical assistance, is anything up to 140km round trip.
- Lack of community capacity to deal with the terminally ill patient.
For further information on this project please contact: Rural Palliative Care Project Officer on 03 5352 4804 or email: ararat@westvicdiv.asn.au
