Palliative care in cross-cultural contexts
A workshop for care providers: Wednesday 17 March
An Italian gentleman with terminal lung cancer is admitted to hospital for radiotherapy. His family has not told him about his diagnosis; they insist that it is better not to tell him. The patient asks you why he keeps being admitted to hospital, even though he does not seem to get any better.
How would you respond to his question?
 When providing medical, respite or personal care to clients with terminal illnesses, culture and belief can become critical issues. Palliative care workers can find themselves caught between the need to provide appropriate care and information to their patient, and the need to respect the wishes of the family.
As cultural issues can impact on the quality of life remaining to patients, it is important that we try to understand cultural practices around death and dying.
The professional-patient interaction is really an encounter between a number of cultural perspectives: that of the patient and their family; that of the health professional; and that of the agency delivering services. Acknowledging this reality is the first step to developing a culturally competent approach to providing end-of-life care. Read more |
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Groundswell of interest in multicultural health
More than 300 papers have been submitted to the Diversity in Health 2010 Conference, demonstrating a groundswell of interest in the wellbeing of migrants and refugees.
Submissions range from culturally appropriate assessment and diagnostic tools, to increasing access to mental health and counselling services, to policy development and health promotion.
 Demos Krouskos, Chair of Diversity in Health 2010, said: "It is incredibly heartening to see that so many workplaces and practitioners place a high value on cultural competence. We have received papers from major hospitals, government departments, mental health services, universities and community agencies.
"On the one hand, we have papers highlighting urgent needs: improving interpreter usage, providing patient-centred care that respects cultural differences, preparing for an ageing ethnic population, or reducing the impact of diabetes and hepatitis.
"On the other hand, we have outstanding examples of how these needs are being met - through clinically tested assessment tools, innovative service models and case studies, and partnerships between health providers and community services that provide holistic care." Read more |
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Read all about it
Don;t forget to browse the CEH library, Australia's only library that specialises in ethnicity and health.
 Our latest additions include the Victorian Government's new Cultural responsiveness framework for health services, plus journal articles on childbirth and maternity services, family violence and alcohol use.
Contact our information officer Sabina on (03) 9342 9707 if you need any help with your serch.
Browse the library
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We recently delivered training programs at the Cancer Council, Bendigo TAFE, Plenty Valley Community Health, Hume City Council and several other health and community services.
We can tailor a program to suit your needs, for staff at all levels of your organisation.
Find out more
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Our April workshop can help you negotiate between conflicting beliefs about health and illness.
Negotiating Between Health Beliefs, on Wednesday 21 April, is invaluable for those working in health service delivery or health promotion.
This workshop presents a framework through which you can elicit your client's beliefs about health, negotiate between differences of opinion and reach a mutually acceptable course of action or treatment.
Find out more.
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