Unique health, cultural and legal considerations may arise in medical treatment decision-making with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples at the end of life. A recent article in the Alternative Law Journal analyses Australian law and literature to identify these considerations. The authors (Penny Neller, Rachel Feeney, Lindy Willmott, Shih-Ning Then, Eliza Munro, Katie Cain, Patsy Yates and Ben White) explore how First Nation peoples’ cultural values; connection to Country, family, and community; history; and health care experiences intersect with end-of-life medical treatment laws.
Australian Indigenous people and treatment decision-making at end-of-life provides valuable insights for lawyers, policymakers and health practitioners, and is available online from Sage Journals.
Online training module
A free online module for health professionals and others about end-of-life decision-making with First Nation peoples is available through the End-of-Life Law for Clinicians training program.
The module can support health professionals to:
- understand legal considerations when caring for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples, their families, and communities at the end of life, and
- deliver high-quality, Culturally Safe and Culturally Responsive care.
This training is accredited for CPD hours by the RACGP, ACCRM, ACEM and CICM. Certificates of completion are available. Register for free on the ELLC website.
ELLC Indigenous logo designed by Isaac Simon and Daniel Richards, Kit Kreative