National Palliative Care Week 2024 - the nation’s largest annual awareness raising initiative
National Palliative Care Week 2024 - the nation’s largest annual awareness raising initiative
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Australians have a great attitude to life; we want to bring that same openness and curiosity to how we approach end of life and National Palliative Care Week gives us a chance to explore the thinking and conversations that go with it.
Last year our National Palliative Care Week campaign reached over 2.13 million Australians. This year, Palliative Care Australia and our members around the country will take that up a notch, highlighting the real and growing need to educate and empower Australians about quality of life towards the end of life.
In 2024, National Palliative Care Week runs Sunday, 19 May to Saturday, 25 May with a host of local events supported by a vibrant social media campaign - allowing Australians to connect with the ‘people at the heart of quality palliative care’ – the doctors, nurses, social workers, volunteers, and many others.
The week coincides with significant and ongoing reforms across the health, aged care, and disability sectors and is a great opportunity for us to highlight the contribution palliative care is making and what more needs to be done.
Below you will find a host of information to support your own understanding of palliative care and a range of ideas and recourses that will enable you to get involved in National Palliative Care Week 2024.
Watch this page for more news and updates as we get closer to 19 May, 2024.
Events Calendar
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Orange heart lapel pins - now available to order!
Advice for you
 |
 |
 |
 |
Other advice, tools and support
- Understanding self-care
- Planning for self-care
- Self-Care Matters campaign resources – a Palliative Care Australia resource, which aims to support you – whatever your role in palliative care – to prevent burnout and build resilience
- Self-care for volunteers working in paediatric palliative care
- Self-care for health professionals working in paediatric palliative care
- Questions for carers to ask the team caring for your loved one
- The Essence of Spiritual Care: A learning module for health care workers
- End of Life Directions for Aged Care (ELDAC) Toolkits – designed to help you in providing palliative care and advance care planning to older Australians
- Department of Health and Aged Care – palliative care education and training opportunities for anyone who works in primary care and aged care
- National Palliative Care Standards for Specialist Palliative Care Services
- National Palliative Care Standards for All Health Professionals and Aged Care Services
- CareSearch Health Professionals Centre – providing trustworthy and practical resources that are relevant to your practice
- End-of-Life Essentials: free education modules and resources
- Palliative Care Online Short Courses, Flinders University
- LGBTIQ+ Health Australia – LGBTIQ+ Inclusive Palliative Care eLearning
- End of Life Law for Clinicians – online training modules
- Palliative Care Curriculum for Undergraduates (PCC4U) – Free education modules and resources for the University and VET Sectors
- Palliative Care Education Directory – PaCE web app
- Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach (PEPA) – free health placements in palliative care services and palliative approach workshops
- Paediatric End-of-Life Care Communication Course
- Education for Teachers in Schools about Paediatric Palliative Care
- Oceanic Palliative Care Conference Education Hub
- ‘Live the live you please’ documentary
- Free PCA Resource Library
- Voluntary Assisted Dying in Australia – Guiding Principles for those providing care to people living with a life-limiting illness
- Overview of Voluntary Assisted Dying in Australia by End of Life Directions in Aged Care (ELDAC).
- Navigating the topic of Voluntary Assisted Dying in Advance Care Planning Conversations: Guiding principles for health professionals
- PCA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples palliative care resources
- Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet: Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care
- caring@home for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Families
- Gwandalan palliative care education and training
- End of Life Law for Clinicians online module – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and end of life law
- ‘Working out what’s right for your child’ – Discussion Starter Cards and Yarning Companion resources for paediatric palliative care
- Free PCA Resource Library
- Palliative care for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender People and People with Intersex Characteristics (LGBTI) Position Statement
- Palliative Care Victoria: palliative care for members of the Australian LGBTQIA+ multicultural and multifaith community
- LGBTIQ+ Health Australia – LGBTIQ+ Inclusive Palliative Care eLearning
- End of Life Law for Clinicians online module – Inclusive end of life decision-making with diverse populations
- Palliative care NSW – Homelessness and Palliative Care Report
- Department of Health and Aged Care – Exploratory Analysis of Barriers to Palliative Care – Issues Report on People Experiencing Homelessness
- CareSearch: palliative care issues for people experiencing homelessness
- Palliative Care Australia – Providing palliative care for people who are homeless; attempting to break down barriers
- Homeless Palliative Care Toolkit
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Quick links to more info
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Join the conversation
With Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) now available across all Australian states, health professionals need training and support.
Our friends at End-of-Life Essentials, have launched a ‘Voluntary Assisted Dying in Acute Hospitals’ online learning module. This free peer-reviewed education will increase the confidence of healthcare professionals’ as they support patients and families.
Learn more and access the education ➡️ https://ow.ly/144B50UjEzI
Help shape the future of legacy making and advance care planning and empower palliative care.
With the support of UTS: University of Technology Sydney, a new state-of-the-art digital platform has been created that aims to transform end-of-life planning. The platform, known as Evaheld, enables people to easily document their wishes and life story, creating clarity, reassurance, and legacy for families and healthcare providers alike.
Before taking the next steps in their growth and development, Evaheld wants to check in with the community and those working in palliative care to gather feedback that improves their offering and accessibility.
Do you have a moment to complete their survey? It will take you between 10 and 15 minutes, by completing the survey you will receive a free Evaheld Legacy Vault.
Survey for patients, carers and families ➡️ https://ow.ly/X69m50U8JP0
Survey for those working in palliative care ➡️ https://ow.ly/9lKT50U8JP4
Thank you.
In the lead up to Christmas, our friends at the Healthy End of Life Program HELP App invite you to two free webinars about better supporting carers during the festive season.
If you’re a carer or you know someone who is, please register and join on Thursday, 12 December and Thursday, 19 December.
Register now ➡️ https://healthyendoflifeprogram.org/webinars/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2SOjJTkE8qYMVG_d9BiYPt4c1ahMOvkzxJROZlbNVDrBRyCl5yXUHTcQk_aem_ZXoDGfHawDNrnl6LZ3NZqg
Palliative Care Australia, in collaboration with Palliative Care Queensland Inc., invites you to share your work and experience and submit an abstract for 25OPCC that gives voice to the theme; ‘connecting systems for better care’.
Spanning Australia, New Zealand, and the broader Oceanic and Asia-Pacific regions – a diversity of voices is central to the success of 25OPCC, as is a diversity of abstract submissions for our review panel to consider.
Never submitted an abstract before? Feeling a bit nervous about putting yourself forward? We want to help you. Guidance on crafting compelling abstracts and delivering engaging presentations is available through our mentoring program for first time presenters.
More info and submissions ➡️ https://ow.ly/LwAs50UkvqO
Local doctors and nurses want to deliver care to those with a terminal illness in their community but feel unsupported.
Palliative Care Australia and our members have a plan for ‘better access to palliative care through primary care.’
Sign the petition, share your story, support our plan ➡️ https://ow.ly/RjsI50UjEff
Better access to palliative care – worth voting for.
#MattersOfLifeAndDeath
🚩Webinar this Thursday – 5 December!
Join us for an in-depth, expert led webinar and equip yourself with the tools to deliver better experiences and outcomes for people receiving generalist palliative care.
The key tool that will guide you through this journey in primary care and aged care is the National Palliative Care Standards for All Health Professionals and Aged Care Services.
This webinar is your opportunity to take a deep dive into the Standards with sector leaders who will discuss the importance of having a framework for high quality palliative care regardless of the setting, and provide key strategies that you can take back to your everyday practice.
PCA Connect is free to attend, join us on Thursday, 5 December, 4pm to 5:30pm, register now ➡️ https://ow.ly/C3rf50Ucq4V
