Palliative care for asylum seekers living in the community in Australia

Abstract

Australia is one of the most successful multi-cultural countries in the world, resulting from continuous immigration for the last 70 years or so. Australia is home for people from almost 200 countries with more than one in five speaking a language other than English at home. Some people arrive in Australia seeking protection from conflict in their own country. They may seek protection as a refugee and in the meantime live in the community while awaiting the outcome of their asylum request. Drawing on a story of one asylum seeker, this paper describes some of the key considerations required in caring for an asylum seeker who is facing the end of their life, making recommendations for addressing their often-complex care needs.

Keywords:

• Palliative care
• Refugees
• Asylum seeker
• End-of-life care
• Multi-disciplinary team

Notes

* Mostly based in Turkey and comprising 10–12% of the Turkish population, the Alevi remain a persecuted minority. In recent years, despite government promises to strengthen the rights of minority groups, reforms have not occurred. They have been exposed to discrimination, massacres, deadly attacks and confiscation of property.¹⁸