It is a commonly accepted wisdom that for the most part, research will if successful, improve outcomes for future patients of a disease, while support services can help those currently living with a disease.

With this in mind, our focus is expanding to incorporate support services.

Home Nursing

Our goal in this area is to set up a pilot to provide nursing care in a pancreatic cancer patient’s home in the final days of their live. Many terminally ill patients want to spend their final days in their own home surrounded by their loved ones, but unfortunately it isn’t possible in the majority of cases. The ever-changing pain often becomes too difficult for the patient to bear and the burden for many carers is too big to manage without full-time medical assistance, resulting in the patient ending up in a hospital or hospice.

Under our pilot, the nursing care will be offered for the period that we know to be the most difficult time – overnight.

For several nights, nursing staff will administer medicines, liaise with hospitals/doctors and allow the carers to relax from the anxiety of closely monitoring the patient’s condition and needs.

As at the start of October 2011, we have raised in excess of $330,000 towards this ambitious goal and are working closely with other cancer, palliative care and government agencies to see it become a reality. There is still a long way to go and many hurdles to overcome before it will be operational, but will all be worth it.

The pilot will be run in NSW only and will concentrate in Sydney. We would love to be able to provide this care to all who need it wherever they are, sadly the cost would be too enormous.

Avner’s Foundation sincerely thank all who have made this possible - the companies who donated to this pilot and to the Annie Danks Trust who have generously donated to it.