Standard caring@home resources for carers and families

Standard caring@home resources, applicable Australia-wide for clinical services, health professionals and carers and families.

Printed stocks of caring@home Packages for Carers are now exhausted.

Clinical service can produce their own resources packages. Follow the information in this article for tips.
All printed resources and training videos from the Packages for Carers are available below.

*It is recommended when providing resources to carers, that they are printed in colour.

**It is recommended when providing resources to carers, that they are printed in colour.

Practical handbook for carers - Helping to manage breakthrough symptoms safely using subcutaneous medicines - The handbook provides written and pictorial material with all the information a carer needs to help manage breakthrough symptoms safely using subcutaneous medicines.
Writing a label, opening an ampoule and drawing up medicine - A step-by-step guide - This illustrated guide explains how to label a syringe correctly, open an ampoule and draw up medicine using a using a step-by-step approach. **Alternative ampoule opening technique video**
Giving a medicine using a subcutaneous cannula - A step-by-step guide - This illustrated guide explains how to give medicine through a subcutaneous cannula using a step-by-step approach.
Medicines diary - The medicines diary is for carers to record all the subcutaneous medicines that are given to the person being cared for.
Symptoms and medicines: Colour-coded fridge chart
Short training videos - The videos show how to do each step when giving a subcutaneous medicine
Information brochure for carers - Nurses can use this brochure to introduce carers to how they can help manage breakthrough symptoms safely using subcutaneous medicines. (1MB pdf)
Syringe labels - The syringe labels are pre-printed and colour-coded for eight (8) commonly-used palliative care symptom management medicines. Blank labels are included in case other medicines are prescribed.

To support families to give subcutaneous medicines

One-on-one training checklist and carer post-training competency assessment - This checklist is used to guide the one-on-one training session with the carer, and to check carer competency after the training session. (77kb pdf)
A practice demonstration kit - The demonstration kit is used to practise giving medicines through a subcutaneous cannula. This attachment guides the nurse in assembling the kit. (317kb pdf)

Educate yourself

Online education modules - The two online education modules are aimed at educating health professionals about the caring@home resources and how they can be used to teach carers to help manage breakthrough symptoms safely using subcutaneous medicines.
How to make a carers' package - A guide on how to make a carers package from downloaded materials. (292kb pdf)
palliMEDS - An app to familiarise primary care prescribers with eight palliative care medicines that have been endorsed by the Australian & New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine (ANZSPM) for management of terminal symptoms.
caring@home app and caring@home Indigenous app - To assist health professionals supporting families, carers and patient, this purpose built app gives easy, quick and offline access to resources to support palliative care symptom management at home
Introducing caring@home resources PowerPoint This presentation may be used when introducing the caring@home resources into your service. (4MB ppt)
Conducting education for a carer PowerPoint - This presentation can be used to conduct face-to-face education sessions with nurses rather than requiring nurses to complete the online education modules developed as a part of the caring@home resources. (12MB ppt)

Page last updated 24 July 2024