Members tell their stories

During National Palliative Care Week our members did a fantastic job raising awareness about their work, and the importance of Palliative Care.

The Supportive and Palliative Care Consult Team at Nepean Hospital provided education and awareness, they gave away the pens, biscuits, the daisy seeds and started a lot of conversations about advance care planning and supportive care. Thanks Trish Dalgleish (CNC2) for the info and photos!

Greenwich Hospital had an afternoon tea in their cafeteria to celebrate Palliative Care Week.

They also had a Transitional Nurse Practitioner, a registrar to do a speech as well as there were two patients sharing their thoughts during the stay in palliative care unit.

Thanks Yun for the info and the photos!

South Western Sydney Local Health District held several film screening across their sites, including Fairfield Hospital and Liverpool Hospital. Their Liverpool Hospital screening saw roughly 25 staff from all different specialties joining in the festivities, sharing popcorn, cakes and other nibbles while watching the film.

Liverpool Hospital also held a morning tea on their palliative care ward balcony where staff invited families, carers, patients, and staff to join them in sharing the #MattersOfLifeAndDeath.

Everyone was encouraged to paint their own butterfly and write their end-of-life wish. These butterflies were being displayed on the balcony ward and in the rooms of their patients to keep encouraging these meaningful conversations. Thanks to Maxine for the info and the photos!

Bankstown Community Health Centre held an afternoon tea for Palliative Care Week. They extended the week through the month of May for education and awareness sessions, and then finished off on a celebratory note! Thanks to Sandra for the info and the photos!

As part of the National Volunteer Week celebrations, the Fairfield City Council and the local MP for Werriwee asked for nominations to acknowledge volunteers from their community.

Rajani Nayak and I were invited to attend a morning tea held at Anne Stanley (local MP for Werriwee) electorate office, on Wednesday 17 May. All nominees received an award for their efforts in building a stronger local community

Anne Stanley said, “Werriwa relies heavily on the contribution of volunteers – the unsung heroes who give up their free time to deliver services, in the areas of sport, emergency services and community welfare.”

Fairfield City Council sent a certificate of appreciation to Susie Thomas. Both volunteers were very touched. They have stayed on board with the program all throughout COVID-19 and continuing.

Harbison Care hosted a volunteers afternoon tea and Southern Highland Community Hospice Palliative Care Volunteers were invited. A lovely afternoon was had at both Moss Vale and Burradoo sites. Residents joined in the celebration.

The board of Southern Highlands Community Hospice hosted a volunteer celebration for the Pal Care, Biography, and Retail volunteers. A great turn out and networking for volunteers.

A good number of Southern Highland Palliative Care volunteers turned out to view the Live Life as you please movie during National Palliative Care Week. A must see for everyone!

The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (CHW) held our annual cake fundraiser during Palliative Care week in the foyer of CHW. As our volunteers usually help out in patient homes rather than the hospital, this is a nice occasion where volunteers get to work alongside our team members (and vice versa).

It was an ‘everyone pitch in’ event so in the photo below there are three volunteers Helen, Eileen and Maryanne and three staff members, Tanya, Sarah and Annette.

The cakes were amazing and were hand made by the Golden West branch of the Cake Decorators Guild.

It is always a very busy and popular stall as everyone agonises over which design of cupcake/s to buy. It was also an opportunity for CHW to promote Palliative Care NSW – who they are and what they do – with both staff and the public.

Nepean/Hawkesbury Service had a stall in Nepean Hospital to raise awareness about Palliative Care Week and recognize the significance of palliative care in enhancing lives.

Under the theme Matters of Life and Death this year’s NPCW aimed to shed light on the invaluable impact of palliative care on a person’s quality of life. Furthermore, it strives to normalise conversations about crucial topics such as death and dying, fostering open dialogue within the community.

As part of this year’s NPCW, several members of the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse esteemed Palliative Specialist Team participated in a thought-provoking panel discussion. This engaging conversation followed the screening of a new feature documentary film that delves into the realities of living and dying in Australia.

During a morning tea held by Illawara Shoalhaven Local Health District , the Palliative Care community had the opportunity to connect and listen to speakers within the community.

Speakers from Community Palliative Care team included a doctor, physiotherapist, Grief Counsellors, and Social Workers. Each presentation gave insight into their work and how this is linked to other government, private and NGO services. Presentations were followed by “You can’t ask that”, where a panel of health professionals fielded questions from attendees.

The volunteers are new recruits to the service, they are trained in Palliative Care and Bereavement.

Each year Bear Cottage Children’s Hospice hold a special Volunteer Thank You evening so that staff have the opportunity to thank our volunteers for their tireless support, acknowledge their service and tenure and recognise the significant contribution they make.

Bear Cottage currently have 130 volunteers who consist of in house volunteers who are onsite seven days a week, volunteers who assist with extra support programs and also a group of biography writers.

“Our amazing team of dedicated ‘vollies’ are a super important part of the Bear Cottage family. They help ensure the day-to-day activities run smoothly and that there are always enough hands on deck to do all the extra jobs around the house. It is really evident by their smiles and enthusiasm how much they enjoy coming to the Cottage, and we love having them! I particularly appreciate the endless patience, sense of fun and willingness to do whatever is needed on that day.”

Jo Bilous, Bear Cottage, Volunteer Manager

Come together for the premier palliative care conference in the southern hemisphere, with over 800 industry leaders, experts, academics, and practitioners from across Australia and beyond.

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See the latest updates: oceanicpallcare.com