Um lugar só deles

A Place of Their Own

*First Nations people are advised that this resource/publication may contain names, text and voices of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people*.

In loving memory of Jude Byrne and her enormous contribution to the drug user movement and strong commitment to the community.

As you go about your day, you may not give much thought to people who use drugs and/or inject drugs – people who are often stigmatised and marginalised by society and mass media and often neglected or not thought about.

But we need to start having conversations about the people who use and inject drugs around Australia, as many of them are ageing, and they need our support to age and die with grace and dignity.

Through this resource, we aim to raise awareness of ageing people who use and inject drugs, and their particular needs, so we can equip our aged care workforce and facilities with better skills, knowledge and support to care for older people who use and inject drugs.

Names, titles and reflections that appear in this resource (where pseudonyms are not used) are accurate to the initial date of publication. Drug use is not static nor are the policy and governance that shape and impact health landscapes, as these evolve, this resource will seek to incorporate these changes and gather further reflections and insights from impacted communities.

*This learning module has been updated to use current best practice person-centered language where possible, although some of the audio files and transcripts do not reflect this. It is important to emphasise person-first language, respect individual preferences, use empowering terms, avoid trivialising, pathologizing or sensationalising, ensure accessible communication, avoid assumptions, be context-aware, value peers’ perspectives, and be mindful of non-verbal cues. Please refer to resources ‘AIVL 9 Principles for Language and Communication’ and ‘Language Matters’ for further context.*