The role of culture in palliative care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples builds on over 60 000 years of history and includes practices to support a good “finishing up”. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community, clinicians and academics have identified the need for better and more culturally responsive palliative care services. (MJA, 2022) 

Like Aboriginal view of health, palliative care embraces the physical, emotional, spiritual and cultural wellbeing of a patient and their family. It holistically focuses on quality of life to ensure the journey is one of comfort, dignity, cultural respect and honoured wishes. Aboriginal peoples have been delivering high quality care to sick community members for centuries but do not call it 'palliative care'. Caring for loved ones with a life limiting condition can take a significant emotional and physical toll on Aboriginal families. Accessing the appropriate palliative care services and resources can bring much support and healing to loved ones, families and communities. However, given the history, trauma and current experience of racism in healthcare, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are not accessing palliative care and receiving the best quality of care and support (Shahid et al, 2013). 

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce are critical to breaking down the systemic barriers to accessing palliative care and reducing the subsequent impact of loss, grief and trauma for our community. This workshop will highlight our ways of knowing, being and doing when it comes to supporting community that are going home to Dreamtime. It will also emphasise what the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal health workforce can do to ensure that the palliative care delivered to Aboriginal families is culturally responsive, healing-informed and grounded in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander understandings of health and wellbeing.