Policy - ELDAC
X

Policy

The objective of this component of the ELDAC Project is to prepare policy briefs which include synthesised information to inform decision-makers about key policy and planning issues in palliative care and advance care planning in aged care.

Palliative Care Australia (PCA) co-leads this work with Leading Age Services Australia (LASA), Aged & Community Services Australia (ACSA) and Catholic Health Australia (CHA) in partnership with Australian Hospitals and Healthcare Associations (AHHA) and Australian Centre for Health Law Research (ACHLR) at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). 

Policy Roundtables Approach

The identification and selection of issues for review will follow a set framework which supports the continuous review and adjustment of policy issues to ensure currency of information and relevancy of issues, as well as allow for an appropriate range of issues covered.

All policy briefs will fall under at least one of the following umbrella topics:

  • The gap between best practice and current resourcing
  • Technology for systems and for people
  • Services and resources for caring in the community
  • Issues experienced by specific population groups
  • Continuity of care
  • Prescribing and access to medicines
  • Issues related to harmonisation of laws

Prior to finalising the policy brief, each issue will involve a facilitated roundtable which will consist of relevant stakeholders, including aged care and palliative care workers, peak organisations, allied health professionals, nurses, general practitioners and consumer representatives. Attendance at these roundtables will be by invitation only.

Completed Policy Roundtables

Note: To encourage openness and the sharing of information, the Roundtables and associated discussions are conducted under a variation of the Chatham House Rule. Roundtable participants are asked to maintain a reasonable level of confidentiality regarding discussion, and the event itself is a social media free zone.

Roundtable 1: Aged care workforce and skill mix for palliative care. 5 April 2018.

The purpose of this Roundtable was to bring together representatives of the aged care workforce, palliative care workforce and carer representation to discuss the aged care workforce needs and skills mix required to deliver quality palliative care within aged care services. Each representative was identified specifically to explore the issues being examined by the Aged Care Workforce Strategy Taskforce, and how these interface with the palliative care sector and with primary care.

With this in mind, during the roundtable participants were asked to discuss a number of issues relating to the skills-mix required to deliver quality palliative care within aged care services, with a view to:

  • Identify the competencies needed in relation to palliative care and end-of-life care in the education, training and skills development for non-clinical aged care workers in residential aged care and home-based care settings.
  • Consider the role and scope of practice within aged care from a palliative care context for Personal care workers, Nurses and Care coordinators.
  • Identify options for developing Models of Care bringing together the expertise of the palliative care, health and aged care workforces, including ‘living well’ models to support quality of life

Roundtable 2: Identifying and Funding Palliative Care Needs Within Residential Aged Care in Australia. 15 August 2018.

The purpose of this Roundtable was to bring together representatives of the aged care and palliative care sectors to discuss how palliative care needs can be better identified and funded within residential aged care facilities. Participants specifically discussed the Resource Utilisation and Classification Study (RUCS) being undertaken by the University of Wollongong’s Australian Health Services Research Institute (AHSRI), and the Productivity Commission's 2017 Inquiry Report on "Introducing Competition and Informed User Choice into Human Services”. 

At this Roundtable, participants explored Guiding Principles, which could be used to shape the needs identification, funding and delivery of palliative care within residential aged care in Australia.

Roundtable 3: Identifying and Funding Palliative Care Needs within Community Aged Care in Australia. 25 October 2018.

This Roundtable was closely linked to Roundtable 2 as part of the broader discussion of palliative care needs identification and funding within aged care settings with a focus on community-based service provision. Through small and large group discussion participants discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the current system, and how alternate models could address the issues identified.

This roundtable also considered the draft Guiding Principles from the discussion at Roundtable 2 to identify common themes or additional requirements specific to the community aged care setting.

For more information

If you would like more information about the policy roundtables, please contact Katie Snell at Palliative Care Australia at katie.snell@palliativecare.org.au

Page updated 18 November 2020