Aboriginal people in need of palliative care and their carers can now access free easy-to-read information specific to communities living in Wiradjuri, Yorta Yorta, Waveroo and Duduroa Countries.
Aboriginal Elders, community members and local health service providers recently met in a yarning circle at Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service to launch the A journey into Sorry Business booklet and yarn about the importance of taking care of business with mob.
Fiona Bradbury, Chronic Disease Coordinator at Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service said, “The release of the booklet was a casual yarn that delivered the key message ‘Don’t wait until you’re old or sick to attend to your journey into sorry business; have your voice heard with what matters to you.’”
Photo at booklet launch (L-R) Fiona Bradbury – Chronic Disease Coordinator AWAHS, Vitor Rocha – Lead, Palliative Care Murray PHN and Denise Ezzy Chronic Disease Outreach Worker AWAHS
A journey into Sorry Business supports Aboriginal people to share their wishes and preferences for their end-of-life care through ‘sorry business’ – cultural practices and protocols associated with death.
The resource has been developed to provide culturally appropriate, respectful and mindful information to encourage Aboriginal people to yarn about their rights, wishes and how to plan ahead when circumstances change through their lives.
Murray PHN (Primary Health Network) partnered with Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service to co-develop the booklet, with input received from community members from Wiradjuri, Yorta Yorta, Waveroo and Duduroa Countries, the lands the booklet encompasses.
The resource has been adapted from a booklet developed by South Western Sydney PHN in partnership with Aboriginal Elders, the Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council and South Western Sydney Local Health District.
Murray PHN CEO Matt Jones said the booklet aims to connect health services and Community members with Aboriginal wisdom when assisting and caring for those with life-limiting conditions, while honouring their connection with land, community, family and tradition.
“We value the importance of advance care planning and this resource has been developed to provide culturally appropriate, respectful and mindful information to encourage Aboriginal people in opening up conversations about their rights, wishes and how to plan ahead when circumstances change throughout their lives.”
A Journey into Sorry Business is available at Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service as a free hard copy resource and can be downloaded from https://bit.ly/4eKWFi9
About us:
Murray PHN is one of 29 PHNs (Primary Health Networks) around Australia working to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of primary health care and service systems. Across our region, we work with general practitioners (GPs), community health, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs), pharmacy, aged care and allied health practitioners, and with acute services such as hospitals, specialists and emergency care.
The role of PHNs is to help to support and integrate the work of these important services to ensure that the people get the right care, in the right place, at the right time. In the Murray PHN region, which covers almost 100,000 sq km of regional Victoria, we work to develop and maintain sustainable models of primary health care for our communities.
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