Study Finds Rural Indigenous People Prefer To Die At Home, Australia

Main Category: Palliative Care / Hospice Care
Article Date: 13 Jul 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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A new study has demonstrated a strong desire of rural Aboriginal people to die at home. This being the case, it is essential to develop local health care and palliative care services. The findings are revealed in a study published by Wiley-Blackwell in the Australian Journal of Rural Health.

Dr Pam McGrath is author of "I don't want that big city; this is my country here': Research findings on Aboriginal people's' preference to die at home". Her study documents the importance of place of death for rural Aboriginal people and finds that strong cultural reasons drive the desire to pass away at home. Reasons include Aboriginal peoples' strong connection to their land and community, their belief in 'death country', the importance of being in the right place to pass on sacred knowledge to the appropriate family members, the significance of the right person according to kinship rules being available to care for the dying, and the fear and stress associated with relocation to metropolitan hospitals.

"In view of the findings, it is important to both support and build up local health and supportive services in rural and remote areas, instead of adding distress to the Aboriginal patients by moving them," McGrath says.

Presently, the choice to die at home is limited by the lack of local palliative care and respite services. Furthermore, dedicated health professionals presently providing community-based health care face significant practical obstacles exacerbated by lack of funding. The solution is to provide support and funding to local services rather than inappropriately relocate Aboriginal peoples to the city for their end-of-life care.

"I hope that the insights provided from Aboriginal people themselves, and the health professionals who care for them, will encourage the provision of appropriate health and palliative care services," says McGrath.

This paper is a report from one part of a major national study, funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council, which developed a model for palliative care service delivery for Aboriginal peoples. The model is detailed in a book 'The Living Model: A Resource Manual for Indigenous Palliative Care Service Delivery', by Pam McGrath and Hamish Holewa, which is used internationally as a basis for end-of-life care for Indigenous peoples.

About Australian Journal of Rural Health

The Australian Journal of Rural Health is a multidisciplinary refereed journal, and since its inception in 1993 has contributed to the accumulation of knowledge of rural health in Australia. The Journal aims to establish a national and international reputation for the quality of its scholarly discourse and value to rural health professionals.

In 1999 the Australian Journal of Rural Health became the official journal of the National Rural Health Alliance, which is the peak body for rural and remote health organizations in Australia. As well as its readers in Australia, the Journal is taken by subscribers in Canada, Japan, USA and the United Kingdom. Readership includes general practitioners, nurses, allied health professionals, pharmacists, health administrators, universities, rural health units and libraries. http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journals/ajr

About Wiley-Blackwell

Wiley-Blackwell was formed in February 2007 as a result of the merger between Blackwell Publishing Ltd. and John Wiley & Sons, Inc.'s Scientific, Technical, and Medical business. Together, the companies have created a global publishing business with deep strength in every major academic and professional field. Wiley-Blackwell publishes approximately 1,250 scholarly peer-reviewed journals and an extensive collection of books with global appeal.

http://www.blackwellpublishing.com