There are few of us who escaped the news coverage of what happened when the Australian government wanted to boost the economy back in 2009, by funding the installation of “pink batts” into homes. Tragically, four young men died, from what was found to be a lack of oversight by the government resulting in massive system failures. Simply put, the government provided the money, but did not ensure that there was the appropriate legislation, regulation or training available to make it safe. And where there is money to be made, there will always be some who will want to profit from it. Some of these people will have no regard for the safety of the product they are supplying, some will be ignorant of what is needed to make it safe. The result is the same. When people ask me, “is giving chemo in the home safe?”, I find it difficult to answer. To be honest the answer is both yes and no. I have worked managing a “home chemo” service for just unde...
Julie Adams, a bohemian free spirit who likes to challenge the status quo in healthcare, and Lorna Cook, a dynamic powerhouse of networking and marketing energy, founded chemo@home in 2013. We are passionate about growing chemo@home across Australia; aiming to provide true patient centred care to cancer and chronic illness patients and their families. This blog is partly health information and partly a reflection of our personal experiences and opinions. Happy reading. www.chemoathome.com.au