Equity of access to palliative care services for Arabic-speaking migrants

South East Palliative Care received a community grant from the City of Greater Dandenong to use in exploring the palliative care and communication needs of people from Arabic-speaking communities residing within the city. The project objective was:
 
    To gain a clear understanding of the palliative care support and communication
     needs of the Arabic-speaking community within the City of Greater Dandenong.

The project employed a range of methods to illicit information including:

 • focus groups individual consultations with stakeholders
 • literature review
 • mapping existing supports
 • gap analysis

In undertaking this project much valuable information has been uncovered that will serve to assist both South East Palliative Care and the wider community of the City of Greater Dandenong in better meeting the palliative care needs and wishes of Arabic-speaking communities. A range of recommendations have resulted and have been grouped around organisation management, resources and structures; community connections; and patient and family care.

This study has shown that presuming ethnicity, that is assuming that one knows the cultural beliefs and practices of a particular cultural community and that they apply to all people within that community, will only and needlessly complicate relationships and will not result in high quality care. Similarly, so will ignoring the ethnic origins of individuals. Establishing the individual preferences of the person and his or her family will enable a true partnership to form.

Data gleaned throughout this project has highlighted that people from Arabic speaking communities generally prefer to care for their family members themselves and thus often do not seek assistance outside their own unit. Community support agencies such as South East Palliative Care, in order to offer assistance that is useful and indeed, welcomed, must seek other ways of offering services than those that are currently on offer.

South East Palliative Care will use the project findings and recommendations to review its services and practices in a bid to achieve what it is that people from Arabic speaking communities have indicated they want from palliative care support services.