Standard caring@home resources for carers and families

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

**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 19 May 2023