If you missed our webinar on 29 July (or would like to watch it again) you can access the recording below or use this link to view on our You Tube Channel. Over 350 people joined the session and there were a lot of questions and interesting discussions in the on-line chat. It’s clearly a topic that many people are interested in.

Watch webinar here:

Some important things to remember about Palliative Care

A copy of the slides used in the session are available here and some useful links are included below, but we wanted to highlight some of the key points raised by our guest speakers from Palliative Care NSW:

• Palliative care is not just about your last days or weeks. It can be available for months, or sometimes years, to help someone with a terminal or life limiting illness manage symptoms and improve the quality of their remaining life.
• It can be provided in a range of settings - at home or or an aged care facility, or a hospital or hospice - and at various times in a your illness.
• It is delivered in various ways depending on your needs. It is often provided by GPs in consultation with palliative care specialists. Community nurses can also be involved. Specialist palliative care may be necessary to manage difficult symptoms and a stay in hospital or a hospice could be beneficial.
• Where specialist palliative care is required a medical referral is needed from a GP or other treating doctor.  If there are complex or distressing symptoms you or your loved ones should be proactive in seeking a referral to a specialist service and asking about options for extra support. 
• The availability and type of palliative care will vary depending on where you live - the resources shown below include a link to a directory of palliative care services in NSW.
• Palliative care is not just about receiving drugs or medical care - practical support can be provided to help a person stay at home (including vital support and advice for carers and family members) as well as counselling and pastoral, spiritual and bereavement support.
• Palliative care is not assisted dying or euthanasia - its intention is to neither prolong life or hasten death. However, people who apply for VAD can and should seek support from palliative care if they need it during the VAD process.

Palliative Care resources and useful links

Palliative Care NSW website: This has a range of resources and information for the community and health care professionals.

NSW Services Directory: This is a searchable directory to help you find a specialist palliative care service in your area.

Palliative Care Guidance Manager: This is a very important resource for carers, family members and health professionals to help them navigate the system and determine the most suitable care options. Dr Peta McVey is a very experienced palliative care nurse and is available by phone or email. 

Palliative Caring Booklet:This is a comprehensive resource designed for families and carers to help explain what caring involves so they are better equipped to support a loved one.

Online education sessions: PalliLEARN is a series of easy-to-understand short courses covering palliative care and end-of-life-care, dying, death and grieving. The next series starts on 2 September.

Community Conversations: Palliative Care NSW host free events in local communities on end of life planning. There is a calendar of upcoming sessions you could attend. You may also be in a position to host a session in your workplace, community group or retirement village.

Becoming a Palliative Care volunteer

There was great interest in palliative care volunteering during the session and there are various ways for volunteers to provide support, whether that is in a hospice or hospital, or in the community.

Palliative Care NSW supports their volunteer community through workshops, training and meet-ups and can help you find volunteering options in your area. They also provide advice and guidance to organisations looking to develop or grow volunteer programs.

You can check out their Volunteer Hub for more information and search the NSW Service Locator to find local volunteering opportunities.

Support Services

Crisis support: If you are feeling distressed and you need to talk to someone urgently, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636

Grief and bereavement: For anyone seeking more information or support about grief and loss, we encourage you to take advantage of the wonderful resources and services offered by Griefline which include a telephone support line, free individual grief counselling sessions (for NSW residents), support groups and on-line forums. They also have VAD specific resources and support groups. You can find out more here or go direct to their website at griefline.org.au