June 2004

Palliative care places on offer

A new training program will give primary health and aged care professionals the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in palliative care.

The Program of Experience in Palliative Care (PEPA) is funded by the Federal Department of Health and Ageing and is managed the Department of Human Services.

It allows for a workforce placement with a specialist palliative care provider.

The placements will be flexible and individually-developed to suit the needs of participants.

There will be two rounds of placements—each round covering four months.

A typical placement could be either two weeks within the designated period or one day per week for 10 weeks.

PEPA is available to primary health and aged care workers not currently working in a specialist palliative care service.

Disciplines invited to apply are Aboriginal health workers or liaison officers, art, diversional or music therapists, bereavement counsellors, dietitians, nurses, occupational therapists, pastoral care workers, physiotherapists, psychologists, residential care workers, social workers, speech pathologists and volunteer managers or co-ordinators.

The first round of placements will begin in September 2004 and the second in March 2005.

They will be available in an inpatient specialist palliative care setting and/or a specialist community-based palliative care program and geared to focus on specific areas of learning or experience.

Ongoing post-placement support programs will support workers to implement skills learned during the work placement.

As well as aiming to enhance the skills and expertise of primary health and aged care workers in providing care for people who are dying, their families and their carers, PEPA aims to:

• Support and enhance the skills of primary health and aged care workers in working collaboratively across professional boundaries;

• Develop and explore opportunities for primary health and aged care workers from a range of areas of practice to gain professional exposure to, and experience in, palliative care;

• Build relationships among agencies.

Rural employees will be eligible for a travel and accommodation allowance.

Employers will also be compensated for costs associated with paying agencies to backfill staff participating in PEPA.

To be eligible for PEPA, applicants must be currently employed in a service caring for people with palliative or end of life care needs, a current qualification/registration in the associated discipline and employer approval.

Palliative care focuses on the quality of life of patients who are dying or have a life-threatening illness, their families and carers.

It aims to make the patient feel in control of treatment and quality of life.

It recognises family and friends need to be prepared for the death of someone they love and offers help and support during the grieving process.

• For more information contact PEPA program leader Allan Havelock on 9616 1459 or email allan.havelock@dhs.vic.gov.au.