caring@home packages for carers - for Queensland services only

The caring@home package for carers is designed to support one-on-one training by health professionals who are teaching a carer to help manage breakthrough symptoms safely using subcutaneous medicines for a person who chooses to be cared for, and to die at home, if possible.

This free package provides practical information that carers can refer to at any time and is appropriate for all jurisdictions in Australia.

PallConsult has partnered with caring@home to produce limited caring@home packages for carers to support the provision of best-practice palliative care in Queensland.

Queensland services providing community palliative care are able to order 5 packages.

If your service is located in another State or Territory, please visit the caring@home website to order your carer packages or for more information about:

Resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families
Resources translated into nine commonly-spoken languages
Education and apps for health professionals
Policy and procedure documents.

Please note: The order form for caring@home resources in now housed on the Queensland Health PallConsult website. Please click the ’Order here’ button to be redirected to the order form.

Order here

Components - caring@home package for carers

Item	Description
caring@home package for carers - This package contains resources for carers. It can be used to facilitate one-on-one training by nurses to carers who are helping to manage breakthrough symptoms safely using subcutaneous medicines.
A practical handbook for carers: Helping to manage breakthrough symptoms safely using subcutaneous medicines	The handbook provides written and pictorial material with all the information the 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 step-by-step approach.
Giving 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.
Symptoms and medicines: Colour-coded fridge chart	A visual chart to list the medicines prescribed and the breakthrough symptoms that they treat. A space is included to add another medicine for another symptom, if required.
A practice demonstration kit	The demonstration kit is used to practise giving medicines through a subcutaneous cannula.
Sharps container	This is an approved container for disposal of needles and glass ampoules.
Short training videos for carers	Videos are available that show how to do each step when giving a subcutaneous medicine. These videos will either be contained on a USB stick in the carers package OR you will need to download them. Videos can be viewed or downloaded from caringathomeproject.com.au/training videos
caring@home resources for nurses
Information brochure for carers	Nurses can use this brochure to introduce the carer to how they can help to manage breakthrough symptoms safely using 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.
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.

Page last updated 27 May 2024