Community Care Grants - Community Cancer Link Inc.

As part of its Community Care Grants Program, NSW Ports awarded $150,000 in funding to 24 groups, supporting community projects across four key focus areas of Education, the Environment, Participation and Wellbeing. In the category of Wellbeing, one of the successful grant recipients was local Illawarra not for profit group, Community Cancer Link Inc. (CCL). 

CCL was established in 2009 by a group of non-nursing citizens and practicing and retired Illawarra nurses with a vision to help patients and their support networks deal with the impacts of cancer. With support from the NSW Ports Grants program, eight additional syringe drivers are now in the hands of Illawarra nurses and health care professionals, providing critical cancer care to terminally ill members of the community. 

A syringe driver is a medical device which allows for life-sustaining medication to be administered in a controlled manner, allowing for cancer symptoms to be managed from the comfort of home. With a life of approximately 10 years, it is expected the syringe drivers will support over 600 patients. 

Yvonne Whitesmith, a retired nurse and Secretary of the CCL shared that in the face of a terminal illness, many people choose to be cared for at home for as long as possible. She continued: “A syringe driver makes such a positive difference to compassionate patient care, during a time when nurse are supporting family and friends to provide support, assessment and symptom management. These devices are essential in meeting patients’ wishes to receive palliative care at home."

NSW Ports is proud to partner with CCL on this important community care initiative which also includes complementary care packages for day to day care needs of cancer patients.

Read more about the work of the CCL committee on their website here.

Photograph: Belinda Wilson, Registered Nurse, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, holding one of the newly acquired syringe drivers.