Enhancing end of life care and support in the Ballina Aboriginal community

The NSW Government is investing more than $630,000 to deliver end of life and palliative care initiatives in co-design with Ballina’s Aboriginal community.

As part of the End of Life and Palliative Care NGO Grants Program, Bullinah Aboriginal Health Service has been chosen as one of six organisations to share in more than $3.5 million in funding over four years to increase community capacity to engage with death and dying.

Bullinah, established by the Goori people in and around Ballina, is well-placed to implement the project as they have regular engagement with more than 2000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients each year.

Working with the community, Bullinah will use its $632,250 grant to develop culturally safe place-based education and promotional material, as well as the provision of culturally safe grief and loss counselling support and practical supports.

Five other grants awarded to organisations as part of the End of Life and Palliative Care NGO Grants Program, delivering a broad range of community initiatives across NSW:

• Waminda South Coast Women’s Health & Wellbeing Aboriginal Corporation has been funded $670,019 to deliver End of Life and Palliative Care initiatives in co-design with the Waminda Aboriginal community.

• ACON has been funded $610,000 to establish a comprehensive ‘Taking Control’ End of Life and Palliative Care program, building on their existing co-designed LGBTQI+ toolkit for Palliative Care and End of Life decisions.

• Palliative Care NSW has been funded $671,076 to deliver an expanded Community Conversations program across NSW, which builds community capacity to have conversations about what matters most and to start advance care planning. They will also deliver the PalliLEARN formal learning program, a course-based program designed to cultivate knowledge and compassion around death, dying and grieving.

• Community Broadcasting Association of Australia has been funded $365,203 for the ‘Your Story, Your Decision’ project, using community radio stations to deliver relatable information about end of life and palliative care.

• The New South Wales Council for Intellectual Disability has been funded $560,119 to deliver training and e-learning for health professionals, people with intellectual disability, their families and carers.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Health, Ryan Park:

“The NSW Government is committed to enhancing palliative care services and supports for all people across NSW, including the Goori people in Ballina.

“End of life and palliative care for a loved one can be a challenging time and different communities have different needs and expectations during this period.

“Bullinah’s grant will provide an opportunity for increased death and grief literacy, promote knowledge and implementation of advance care planning and provide increased grief and bereavement support for families and carers.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris:

“Bullinah is well-placed to implement the project as they have regular engagement with more than 2000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients each year.

“This palliative care and end of life project will be complemented by the existing cultural and social connection, and social and emotional wellbeing programs within Bullinah’s service.

“This is part of the NSW Government commitment to closing the gap and improving health outcomes for Aboriginal people in a culturally safe and appropriate way.”

Quotes attributable to Labor Spokesperson for Ballina the Hon. Emily Suvaal MLC:

“Delivering information in a culturally sensitive and appropriate way is important, especially when talking about something like palliative and end of life care.

“I am pleased that Bullinah Aboriginal Health Service has been awarded this grant that will allow them work closely with members of the Aboriginal community in Ballina to create these resources.”