Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare

10. Supporting families and pain medication at end of life

Season 1 Episode 10

Learn how kinship roles shape who can visit a loved one—and why absence can be a sign of deep respect. Discover why some families might fear pain medication, and why the right setting for end-of-life care discussions isn’t always a hospital room. Providing care that is both clinically and culturally safe starts with understanding these perspectives.

This is Ask the Specialist, and in our podcast, the Specialists are First Nations leaders from across northern Australia. In this episode, Arrernte, Walpiri and Yolŋu leaders answer some of the burning questions from healthcare providers about how best to deliver culturally safe palliative care to First Nations peoples in the Northern Territory. 

The Specialists are: Rarrtjiwuy Melanie Herdman, Jimmy Langdon, Sabella Kngwarraye Turner and Amelia Kngwarraye Turner. 

Hosts: Kelly Clark from Danila Dilba Health Service and Christine Sanderson from NT Health.

Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerrigan.