Mrs Fiona Antony1
1Florence At Home Pty Ltd, Portland, Australia
Biography:
Fiona Antony is a Registered Nurse with over 13 years of experience in community and palliative nursing in rural Victoria. She holds postgraduate qualifications in Palliative Care and is currently completing a Professional Certificate in Geriatric Medicine. Passionate about improving equity and access for regional communities, Fiona founded Florence at Home Pty Ltd, an RN-led, GP-supported in-home aged and palliative care service in the Portland region (MMM 4/5). Medicine runs in her family — her mother is a senior emergency medical officer and her father a retired MICA paramedic.
Abstract:
Background:
Rural and regional Australians continue to face inequities in access to timely, skilled aged and palliative care specialists. In the Portland region (MMM 4/5), limited community nursing capacity and fragmented referral pathways often lead to unnecessary hospital admissions and carer distress. Recognising this gap, Florence at Home was established as an RN-led, GP-supported model designed to complement existing general practice, hospital, and community services while keeping aged and palliative clients safely at home.
Aims:
To bridge service gaps in rural aged and palliative care by creating a coordinated, person-centred model that aligns with clients’ values and goals, strengthens GP collaboration, and ensures continuity across care settings.
Methods:
The model was developed in line with the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards (2025) and Support at Home. Registered Nurses provide comprehensive assessment, symptom management, medication governance (including Schedule 8 drugs), and advance care planning. Strong partnerships are established with local GPs, pharmacies, and allied health providers to deliver integrated, multidisciplinary care.
Results:
Early implementation has demonstrated improved continuity, reduced unplanned hospital transfers, faster symptom resolution, and positive feedback from families and referrers. Collaboration with existing community and health services has been pivotal in ensuring person-centred, goal-concordant outcomes.
Conclusions:
This RN-led, GP-supported model illustrates how local innovation can bridge rural service gaps while complementing—not competing with—existing systems. Florence at Home delivers safe, holistic, and values-based care that empowers older people and palliative clients to remain at home with dignity, supported by a connected and compassionate community care network.