Daisy Mojapelo (Registered Nurse) and Linda Pupangamirri’ (Aboriginal Health Practitioner) from Julanimawu Health Centre at Wurrumiyanga on the Tiwi Islands both came to Darwin and completed a 4 day PEPA placement at the Territory Palliative Care Hospice in late 2018 early 2019. Both attendees excelled whilst on placement with many of the Territory Palliative Care Team giving them the tittle of ‘Future Palliative Care Champions for the Tiwi Islands’. The placement empowered Linda and daisy to take away the skills knowledge and confidence to spread the Palliative Care message across the Tiwi Islands, create best practice Palliative Care processes within the Community Health Care Services and start to educate other Health Professionals in the region around the importance of being able to deliver good Palliative Care in Remote Communities.
Daisy and Linda will play a major role in building momentum on the Islands and driving Palliative Care initiatives with the aim of creating a Palliative Care service where the skills and knowledge are staying within the local community and the people of Tiwi islands are empowered to take ownership of the processes and initiatives. Whilst their Journey has only just started both have returned to Community and hit the ground running. Best practice Palliative Care processes have been
implemented within the Health Care Services, strong communication channels with the Remote Community Health Service and Territory Palliative Care have been created, several local people have been able to finish up on country since Linda and Daisy completing their placements, one of very few NT Remote Community Morgues has been built at Wurrumiyanga and more recently both have encouraged and empowered local Aboriginal Health Practitioners from all over the Islands to come together at Wurrumiyanga to attend a PEPA workshop.
Daisy and Linda have plans in the near future to provide Community Education and Consultation in Partnership with PEPA NT and Territory Palliative Care to the local Aboriginal Community and Key Stakeholders in order to make Palliative Care on the Islands everyone’s business. Once Community education and consultation has been conducted there will be a strong focus on spreading the Advanced Care Directive message. Daisy Mojapelo: ‘The PEPA placement was amazing, it really opened my eyes and has motivated me to go back to TIWI with so many plans and Ideas that could help Remote Palliative Care out on Tiwi’.
Special thanks to Samantha Harrington Territory Palliative Care Remote CNC who has played a key role in planning and supporting Daisy and Linda’s Palliative Care initiatives.