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The Community Outreach Nurse Program is a finalist in the 2019 HESTA Australian Nursing & Midwifery Awards. The program is based at Anam Cara House in Geelong, VIC

Anam Cara House Geelong is recognised for developing a Community Outreach Nurse Program that links people with life-limiting illnesses to community palliative care services.

Employees at Anam Cara House developed the program, which has been supported by funding from the State Government after research found many people living in the community with life-limiting illnesses were not utilising appropriate palliative care services that were available to them. The Community Outreach Nurse Program was developed to enhance the support provided to these people.

The program employs experienced palliative care and nurses to assess and refer patients to community service providers. Referrals to the program are made via doctors, family, friends, allied health professionals, and community providers. The program also loans equipment to patients free of charge, this includes beds, recliners and showers chairs.

The goal of the Community Outreach Nurse Program is to help patients and their carers access services and programs that they’re entitled to with ease and little stress, it also aims to help patients remain at home as long as possible or die at home if they wish by giving them greater end-of-life choice, including receiving palliative care at home.

Without the service, it’s likely that many palliative care patients would be admitted to hospital or aged care facilities prematurely. The program ensures patients and their carers have access to vital palliative care services, empowering them with more choices of where and how they’d like to receive end-of-life care. 

Watch the awards online. Tune into Facebook live from 6.30pm AEST Friday 9 May 2019.