Sector news

Palliative Care NSW has just published a new edition of its volunteer training manual, the Palliare Handbook. This digital resource offers foundational knowledge and practical guidance for people volunteering in palliative settings and supports services looking to train new volunteers.

Free to download. Print copies can be ordered by contacting the organisation.

Several Australians were honoured for their contributions to palliative care in this year’s Honours list. Teresa Plane received the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to palliative care and the arts. Dr Lawrence Robert Palmer (SA), Associate Professor Carol Mary Douglas (QLD), and Associate Professor Catherine Margaret Swetenham (SA) were recognised for outstanding public service in palliative care and end-of-life care. Other award recipients include Emeritus Professor Peter Aran Howat (WA), Ms Kylie Ellen Pussell (NSW), and Dr Alan Bruce Secombe (QLD). 

The Australian Government has announced that the implementation of the new Aged Care Act 2024 and the Support at Home program will be deferred from 1 July to 1 November 2025. This delay aims to provide aged care providers with additional time to prepare their clients, support their workers, and ready their systems for the upcoming changes.  

A new report commissioned by Advance Care Planning Australia reveals that only 33% of Australian adults have engaged in any form of advance care planning, with just 6% completing a formal Advance Care Directive. Although most people recognise the benefits of planning ahead, awareness remains low and common barriers include uncertainty about how to begin, perceived irrelevance for younger individuals, and the emotional discomfort of discussing end-of-life care.

Entries are now open for the Live Well, Die Well Art Prize 2025, presented by Palliative Care Australia and supported by Arcare. This national art prize invites Australians of all backgrounds and skill levels to explore the theme Conversations About End-of-Life through visual art. Eligible submissions include any artwork that can be displayed on an easel — from paintings and photography to drawings, sketches, and other canvas-based works. Entries are open until Sunday 14 July 2025. Finalists will be exhibited at the 25OPCC in Brisbane, and all entries will be featured in an online gallery. Categories include:

• General
• First Nations artist
• Artist living with a disability
• Emerging artist
• Primary & secondary students
• People’s Choice – all entries are displayed in a digital gallery for public voting at no extra cost

During National Palliative Care Week, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) launched a new national training program to equip pharmacists with the knowledge, skills, and compassion needed to support people receiving palliative and end-of-life care wherever they are.

The ASPIRE Palliative Care Foundation Training Program for Pharmacists is a free, eight-module CPD-accredited course for pharmacists working in all areas of practice. It is supported by Palliative Care Australia and developed with support from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care under the National Palliative Care Grants Program.