Hunter Primary Care is proud to be a partner in Deadly Dreaming, an Indigenous-led research initiative that has secured more than $2.8 million in national funding to help transform how ageing and dementia care is understood and delivered for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in partnership with the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), the project brings together the University of Newcastle, Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI), Yakuway Indigenous Corporation, Hunter Primary Care and an Elders Advisory Group to address the significant health inequalities experienced by First Nations Elders.

Government data shows dementia impacts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples at a significantly higher rate than the broader population, yet many face barriers accessing culturally safe and appropriate care. Deadly Dreaming aims to reshape how ageing and dementia care is understood by placing Elders at the centre of the research process as cultural authorities and co-researchers.

Hunter Primary Care has provided health and wellbeing services across the Newcastle and Hunter region for more than 30 years, and has a strong history of delivering peer-to-peer yarning using lifestyle medicine principles, known as shared health appointments. Through its partnership with Yakuway Indigenous Corporation, Hunter Primary Care is proud to support the project's yarning and Elder engagement activities.

A key component of the project will be a series of On-Country gatherings across Awabakal, Worimi and Wonnarua Country, where Elders will share stories, reconnect with significant places and guide intergenerational knowledge exchange. The project will also establish a community-owned digital Yarnin Library to preserve Elders’ stories and cultural teachings for future generations.

The initiative reflects Hunter Primary Care’s commitment to culturally safe, community-led approaches to health and wellbeing and builds on our longstanding work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across the Hunter region.

We look forward to working alongside Elders, communities and project partners to support this important work and contribute to a future where ageing and dementia care is both culturally grounded and community led.

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