Mrs Sanam Nghi1, Mrs Michelle Bui
1Palliative Care Unit, Braeside Hospital, Prariewood, Australia
Biography:
Sanam Nghi is the NUM at Braeside Hospital with extensive experience in palliative care, she has led service improvements that strengthen collaboration between inpatient and community teams. Sanam’s leadership is grounded in compassion and cultural responsiveness. She is dedicated to ensuring dignity, equity, and connection remain at the heart of care.
Michelle Bui has been working in Sydney Southwest for more than 25 Years including working as PCN for more than 18yrs, she is passionate in helping CALD community and has special advance with 2nd language being Vietnamese. Keen interest in supporting/ promoting health in CALD communities.
Abstract:
Background:
In Southwestern Sydney, one of New South Wales’ most culturally diverse and socio-economically disadvantaged regions; accessing palliative care is often complicated by language barriers, social isolation, and mistrust of the health system. This case shares the journey of Mr Huynh, a Vietnamese speaking man with advanced illness, living alone and disconnected from support.
Aims:
To demonstrate how collaboration across inpatient and community teams can deliver compassionate, culturally responsive, and equitable care for underserved, vulnerable populations.
Methods:
With consent, this narrative follows Mr Huynh’s transition from the community to inpatient care and eventually to a Residential Aged Care. His heartfelt wish was to return home one last time to pack his own belongings, a desire for control, closure and connection before saying goodbye to the life he had built. This deeply personal request, outside routine practice, became the catalyst for extraordinary teamwork.
Two distinct services, Braeside inpatient staff and the community nursing team, came together with compassion and flexibility, navigating logistical and environmental challenges. Their seamless coordination ensured Mr Huynh’s wish was honoured with dignity.
During the visit, Mr Huynh unexpectedly retrieved a large sum of cash. Without this collaborative support, he would have remained vulnerable, and at financial risk, a danger that may never have been discovered.
Results:
The rapport built by both teams and individualised care enabled Mr Huynh to reclaim cherished items, secured his finances, and re-engaged with care. He received culturally appropriate symptom management and felt “valued and understood.
Conclusions:
This case celebrates the power of compassionate, flexible teamwork across service boundaries. It highlights how integrated, culturally responsive care can honour individual wishes, rebuild trust, and transform transitions into meaningful, person-centred experiences.