‘They should come out here…’: Research findings on lack of local palliative care services for Australian Aboriginal people

Abstract

Although Aboriginal Australians experience morbidity and mortality rates far greater than that of the wider Australian population, to date, their access to culturally appropriate palliative care services has remained unexplored. This article provides findings from an Australian National Health and Medical Research funded study that documents the availability of palliative care services to Aboriginal peoples of the Northern Territory, Australia. The data were collected through a series of open-ended, qualitative interviews with a cross section of Aboriginal peoples and health professionals conducted during a 2-year period. The findings provide an overview of the palliative care services that are presently available and reflect a serious lack of local, culturally appropriate palliative care services. This research shows the similarities in the struggles and difficulties faced by Australian Aboriginals and Indigenous peoples worldwide. The hope is that the suggestions put forward for improvement will one day be useful for the world's Indigenous peoples.