Current Projects
Completed Projects
1. BEREAVEMENT
SUPPORT PROGRAMS IN PALLIATIVE CARE: MINIMUM STANDARDS: August
2000
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The
final version of the Bereavement Support Programs in Palliative
Care: Minimums Standards is available for purchase.
Contact
the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement for further details
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New standards
developed for Bereavement Support Programs in Palliative Care
Services in Victoria
The Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement recently completed a 12 months project that aimed
to identify and develop structured and effective best practice bereavement
support programs for palliative care services throughout Victoria.
This project was funded by the Department of Human Services with
project work conducted by Karen Spehr and Rob Curnow (clinical and
research psychologists).
The development
of minimum standards for bereavement support programs in palliative
care services in Victoria will assist the development of programs
as well as improve the quality and consistency of existing services.
The minimum standards resulted from a process of consultation and
collaboration with a range of key stakeholders via reference and
working groups, interviews, a comprehensive survey of palliative
care agencies and web site feedback.
The Minimum Standards
have been published by the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement and are available
as a set comprising two documents. The first is the Minimum Standards
for Bereavement Support Programs in Palliative Care Services in Victoria,
listing the 12 standards and the criteria used for each. The second
document is the Supplement to the Minimum Standards for Bereavement
Support Programs in Palliative Care Services in Victoria which provides
explanatory notes and examples. The supplement also includes a bibliography
of journal articles, reports and books on various aspects of bereavement
and bereavement support programs.
It is anticipated
that these minimum standards will raise the status and priority of
bereavement support programs in relation to other areas in palliative
care.
The Minimum
Standards documents can be purchased through the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement at $5.50 per set (includes GST) plus $2.75 postage and
handling. Please contact the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement on (03)
9265 2100 (telephone), freecall 1800 642 066 or email s.robert@grief.org.au
for details on how to purchase these documents.
2. ENHANCING
SUPPORTS WITHIN RURAL COMMUNITIES
Download
a copy of the project report in Microsoft Word format (250k,
less than 1 minute)
Download
a copy of the project resource directory in Microsoft Word format (277k,
about 1 minute)
The impact of
loss and grief does not know economic, social or geographical boundaries
and touches the lives of every human being. The ability to cope with
life stressors such as loss and grief is associated with a range
of risk and protective factors. A large body of evidence has highlighted
that the health status of people living outside metropolitan areas
is lower and mortality rates are higher. Some risk factors associated
with living in rural and remote communities in Australia are isolation,
the impact of economic restructuring and exposure to natural health
hazards such as drought, flood and fire. At the same time their access
to accessible and affordable health and community services is lower
than in metropolitan regions. In this context, the project has focused
on enhancing support for loss and grief issues in rural areas. The
City of Greater Bendigo and surrounding areas was chosen for the
study. Bendigo is a large provincial city with an index of relative
socioeconomic disadvantage (based on the 1991 census) well below
the Australian average.
Methodologies
used in the project were based on the principle that community control
in planning, developing and delivering culturally appropriate services
is a vital component of good practice in health planning and delivery.
A range of strategies were used to elicit information and provide
avenues for people to have input which included a forum, personal
interviews, a survey and input and direction from a local advisory
group. The findings of the report provide a snapshot of the current
loss and grief issues identified as well as the current provision
of services to address loss and grief needs. Included are the experience
and background of people currently providing loss and grief support,
target group of services, identified gaps, pressing issues and concerns,
referral opportunities, availability of training, information and
resources, supervision, networks and possible strategies to overcome
some of the issues raised. The findings confirm the increasing complexities
of loss and grief issues ranging from loss of life, relationship
break down, anticipated losses, social issues, economic issues to
losses linked to illness and disability.
Many of those
losses are not confined to rural areas but a range of factors including
economic reforms, lower health status in rural areas together with
lower access to a broad range of health services have had a amplifying
effect in rural areas. Health and community organisations in Bendigo
and surrounding area, despite economic, social, physical and financial
challenges, have developed a range of multidisciplinary approaches
to loss and grief support which encompass prevention, treatment as
well as maintenance programs. A range of gaps and areas for enhancement
in the current provision have been identified to address the health
and support needs of people experiencing loss and grief and to improve
the quality and access to a coordinated and innovative service system.
The professionals surveyed have considerable experience and training
in supporting people experiencing loss and grief which confirms the
findings of other studies, which have documented that people working
in rural and remote areas possess a broad range of skills and expertise
developed through their varied duties and responsibilities. Given
the complexities and differences in communities in rural Australia,
caution needs to be taken in making conclusions about its application
to other areas.
The project and
the report aims to provide a framework for loss and grief support
planning in rural communities which can be adapted to other areas.
It is hoped that the recommendations made will provide vital directions
to governments and funding bodies and guidance to communities who
want to enhance the support for loss and grief in their communities.
