Better access to palliative care - worth voting for!
Better access to palliative care - worth voting for!
Monday, November 25, 2024
Palliative Care Australia's 2025 Federal Election Campaign
Each day around 400 people die of a terminal illness, yet more than three in five (62%) do not receive specialist palliative care at any stage. Current data presents a confronting picture of access to palliative care, and on our current path this will only get worse. Without action, our future is one of diminishing care for people and families living and dying with terminal illness.
This election we want to make ‘better access to palliative care’ an issue that the next government commits to, but we need your help.
The reforms to health, aged care, and disability services over the last three years are just the start – we go backwards unless the next parliament deepens and matures the progress made by investing in better access to palliative care.
Adding her voice to the campaign is the well-known actor, author, and comedian Jean Kittson. For the last 10 years she has been a carer for her mum and dad, Elaine and Roy. Sadly, Elaine (99 years) and Roy (96 years) died earlier this year, without the palliative care Jean expected to be able to access.
"Mum's death is so full of trauma, it's very distressing to live with," she says.
Palliative Care Australia and our members have created a blueprint of immediate actions the Australian Government can take, and our elected representatives can support, to improve access to palliative care. This blueprint called the '2025 Federal Election Platform' is now available for you to download, and share with your network via the link below!
We don’t have a big advertising budget, so we rely on people like you to help amplify our message. Please sign our petition, share your story, and show your support.
Jean Kittson's story
Jean has been a carer for her mum and dad, Elaine and Roy, for the last 10 years, and has also written a best-seller about the experience ‘We Need to Talk About Mum & Dad – a practical guide to parenting ageing parents.’
Jean has been a longtime advocate for palliative care and is the patron of Palliative Care Nurses Australia. Sadly, Elaine (99 years) and Roy (96 years) died earlier this year, without the palliative care Jean expected to be able to access, leaving her and her sister with deep trauma and grief from the experience.
Jean is sharing her story publicly to raise awareness, so that other families have a better chance of accessing palliative care – when and where they need it. You can watch and read Jean’s deeply emotional story below.
A big thank you to Jean for sharing her story and amplifying such an important message!
Sign the petition
If you see Australia as a compassionate community that respects the needs of those living with a terminal illness please show your support for Palliative Care Australia’s plan for ‘better access to palliative care’ and sign this petition. |
Our ageing population adds to the urgency.
Conservatively estimated, 92% of people who die in residential aged care would benefit from palliative care, yet only 3% of people living in residential aged care see a palliative medicine specialist in the first year following admission, while only a third of those entering residential aged care receive a GP health assessment or care planning within their first year. If we don’t fix this, people will continue to be admitted to hospital for care they could receive in their home, and people will continue to have limits placed on their end of life choices. |
Add your story to Jean's
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Join the conversation
What does it take to ensure Territorians can access the palliative care they need, including at home?
Sarah Begley, Deputy Chair of Palliative Care Australia’s Board, joined Katie Woolf on Mix 104.9 ‘360 earlier this week to shine a light on palliative care in the Northern Territory and the dedicated community palliative care nurses supporting people and families across vast distances.
Sarah spoke about the significant pressures facing these services and the need for greater investment in community palliative care, support for remote communities and sustainable funding for Palliative Care NT.
At the core of the conversation was the idea that palliative care is about “living until you die”, helping people live well and do what matters to them, right through to the end of life.
🎧 Listen to Sarah’s conversation with Katie Woolf: https://ihr.fm/4xyFXwd
iHeartRadio
#PalliativeCareNorthernTerritory #PalliativeCare #NorthernTerritory #EndOfLifeCare #Mix1049
How can Men’s Sheds support men through end-of-life experiences?
The Good Death Impact Network and The Care Lab at UNSW are hosting a hybrid seminar exploring the role Men’s Sheds can play in supporting men experiencing dying, caring and bereavement.
Presented by Dr John MacArtney, Associate Professor at Warwick Medical School, the session will draw on research into hospice Men’s Sheds in the UK and explore how these groups can help reduce loneliness, provide peer and emotional support, and connect men with other forms of support.
📅 Tuesday 8 September, 2-3pm
📍 UNSW Sydney + online via Teams
Find out more and register: https://bit.ly/4haM57W
#PalliativeCare #EndOfLifeCare #MensSheds #Bereavement #GriefSupport
Help shape palliative care for children and young people with cancer.
Researchers at UNSW Sydney are seeking experienced health professionals working in oncology, haematology, palliative care and related disciplines to participate in a national e-Delphi study.
The study will help develop an evidence-informed Model of Care to support the earlier and more consistent integration of palliative care alongside cancer treatment for children, adolescents and young adults in Australia.
📅 Round 1 closes Friday 11 September 2026.
Find out more and participate: https://app2.welphi.com//Pages/RedirectPage.aspx?vHhTTzhYnpZU7ug2RHWySCzwWM5bt8RvkMhQtTGgjMU=
#PalliativeCare #CancerCare #HealthResearch
PCA was delighted to host CEOs of the Palliative Care State and Territory organisations this week for a productive strategic planning meeting.
The visit included a tour of Palliative Care ACT’s Leo’s Place respite care facility, and a positive meeting with Jo Mond, from the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s Cancer, Organ Donation and Palliative Care branch.
Palliative Care Victoria | Palliative Care Tasmania | Palliative Care South Australia | Palliative Care WA | Palliative Care Queensland Inc. | Palliative Care NSW
Thank you for sharing your Support at Home experiences. 🧡
In June, we invited people to share their experiences of accessing, or trying to access, the Support at Home End-of-Life Pathway.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences with us. We know these experiences can be deeply personal, and we greatly appreciate your openness and willingness to contribute to our advocacy.
Your experiences helped inform PCA’s submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Support at Home program, strengthening our advocacy for better access to palliative and end-of-life care for older Australians, their families and carers.
#PalliativeCare #EndOfLifeCare #SupportAtHome #AgedCare
🧡 The Orange Heart is supporting compassionate end-of-life care across Gippsland – and attracting interest from health services around Australia.
The Gippsland Region Palliative Care Consortium (GRPCC) has implemented the Orange Heart as a door sign to discreetly signify that a patient is in their final days of life, helping ensure interactions are guided by sensitivity, respect and compassion.
The Consortium has also developed an implementation package to support health services to use the sign consistently. The Orange Heart has now been implemented in 10 health services across Victoria.
The initiative was presented at the Palliative Care Nurses Australia Inc. Conference in June, where GRPCC Manager Anny Byrne received Best Oral Presentation in the Acute Care Session. Since then, the implementation package has been shared with a further nine health services across multiple states, reflecting growing interest beyond Victoria.
Congratulations to Anny and the GRPCC team on the growing reach of the Orange Heart. We’re pleased to share their work in collaboration with Palliative Care Victoria.🧡
#PalliativeCare #EndOfLifeCare #OrangeHeart
