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The views and opinions expressed in our blog series are those of the authors and are not necessarily supported by CareSearch, Flinders University and/or the Australian Government Department of Health.
COVID-19 is changing how we make decisions, plan for an unknown future, and respond to global changes beyond our control. Judith Lesson AM shares her views on the pandemic, and why it is important for all of us in the community to receive reliable and accurate information to make informed decisions.
Everyone should consider an advance care plan (ACP), however, ACP is a concept based on Western principles of self-determination, patient autonomy, informed consent and decision-making. These values are not universally accepted and compete with other beliefs for many older Australians. Dr Georgia Rowley from ELDAC discusses Australia’s diverse population and how diversity considerations should be made when engaging in ACP initiatives.
An important part of preparing for COVID-19 is to include advance care planning as part of your response. Only 25% of older Australians aged 65 years and over have documented their preferences in an Advance Care Directive. In her guest blog, Advance Care Planning Australia (ACPA) Program Director, Linda Nolte, shares why it is imperative to increase advance care planning for older Australians as the aged care sector prepares for the spread of the coronavirus.
Additional pressures on the healthcare system during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic can challenge the way we approach activities we perform routinely, including the management of medicines. Paul Tait, Lead Palliative Care Pharmacist at Southern Adelaide Palliative Care Services discusses five tips to ensure good medicines management for people living with palliative care needs in their home.
COVID-19 is changing the way we understand our health systems, our society and ourselves. Palliative care is now a critical part of a response to the pandemic nationally. Professor Jennifer Tieman discusses the need to provide relevant information to health professionals, aged care workers, and patients, family and carers, and how the new CareSearch COVID-19 and Palliative Care hub can support them.