- Karuna Hospice Services, based at Windsor in Brisbane, is a not for profit community based, benevolent charity founded in 1991 to provide home based palliative care for people with terminal illness.
- Karuna Hospice Services exists to ease the physical, emotional and spiritual distress that many people experience as they face the end of their lives .We assist our clients to die in comfort, peace and with dignity.
- Karuna Hospice Services is an activity of the Buddhist Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition within the spiritual leadership of His Holiness, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama.
- Karuna is governed by an independent board of local directors comprising nine Brisbane citizens who uphold strict ethical values and professional competence.
- Karuna Hospice Services is committed to rigorous standards of financial accountability and transparency. Independently audited accounts are published each year in Karuna’s annual report.
- Karuna is a Sanskrit word which means compassion. Consequently, our home based palliative care is available to anyone irrespective of their race, colour or creed.
- Karuna’s Patron is Her Excellency, the Governor of Queensland, Ms Quentin Bryce.
- Karuna is fully accredited with the Australian Council of Healthcare Standards.
- In addition to its staff of full time professional clinicians, Karuna’s dedicated team of 65 Family Support volunteers contribute almost 3000 hours per year to provide respite for family carers and confidential companionship for clients.
- Karuna operates the free state-wide Palliative Care Information Telephone Service 1800 772 273 providing information referral and support services under contract to Queensland Health.
Karuna’s home based palliative care is provided at no charge to our clients and it currently costs us around $3,000 for each individual in our care. This cost is partially met by financial support from Queensland Health but Karuna is heavily dependent on bequests and donations from private individuals and corporations. If you would like to support Karuna’s work, donations can be made on line or by phoning us at (07) 3632 8300. All donations are tax deductible.
Services
Karuna’s home based palliative care service enables clients to remain in the reassuring familiarity and comfort of their own home and to spend quality time with their families as their illness develops. Our service includes:
- Specialist palliative care nursing, pain and symptom management
- Nurses on call 24 hours every day
- Liaison with the family GP and health services
- Counselling and spiritual care in the religious tradition of choice
- Family support and companionship by trained volunteers
- Respite for carers
- Loan of home nursing equipment
- Bereavement support program
