The AGPAL Group of Companies acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live and work, and recognise the continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge Elders as the holders of knowledge, lore and wisdom.
We respectfully acknowledge the cultural sensitivities surrounding Sorry Business, Sad News and ‘finishing up’.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this website may contain images, videos and voices of people who have passed away.
Gwandalan: Supporting Palliative Care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities
Spirituality plays an important role in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture with many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people possessing strong beliefs about the existence of life beyond the physical realm. Life and death are viewed as a continuous cycle from birth to death to re-birth; the life, death, life pattern.
In some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities, speaking of death is considered taboo. Given the cultural sensitivities surrounding death, it is important that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural beliefs and practices are acknowledged and accommodated during the palliative and end-of-life care journey.
‘Gwandalan’ is a word from the Darkinjung and Awaba language meaning rest, peace or resting place. For this project, the Gwandalan word represents the spiritual aspect of the palliative and end-of-life journey, with the hope that the spirit is at rest and peace as a result of good palliative care and a ‘good death’.
We would like to thank the Darkinjung Nation and the Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council for allowing the use of ‘Gwandalan’, and appreciate their recognition of the importance of palliative and end-of-life care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities.
About the Gwandalan National Palliative Care Project
Australian General Practice Accreditation Limited (AGPAL), in partnership with Palliative Care South Australia has secured funding from the Federal Department of Health to co-develop a suite of tailored education and training materials to support cultural safety within palliative care services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Education and training materials for the Gwandalan Project aim to support relationships between service providers, frontline staff and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities through cross-cultural education and the sharing of knowledge. This will be achieved through the provision of education and training to support increased capacity in those who care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples during their palliative and end-of-life journey.
The Gwandalan Project does not address clinical palliative care content but rather, supports the provision of culturally safe and responsive palliative care by upskilling frontline staff to contextualise care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and deliver services in a way which supports a good ‘finishing up’.
The Gwandalan Project Objectives
The Gwandalan Project is funded by the Australian Government under the Public Health and Chronic Disease Care Grant, National Palliative Care Projects 2020-2023.
