CareSearch Blog: Palliative Perspectives

Death is something we all have to cope with, however, we seem reluctant to think about, talk about, and plan for it. Professor Jennifer Tieman, Director of CareSearch and the Research Centre for Palliative Care, Death and Dying at Flinders University, discusses the aims of Dying2Learn and how the online course offers the Australian general community the chance to learn and talk about death and dying.

Dying to Know Day (August 8th) is an annual campaign that encourages community members and organisations to host events that encourage critical discussion and planning around death, dying, and grief. Holly Rankin-Smith, Communication Director at The Groundswell Project, discusses their campaign and the importance of having these critical conversations particularly during this COVID-19 pandemic. 

COVID-19 presents an important opportunity to raise the urgency of palliative care in humanitarian emergencies. Rachel Coghlan, PhD candidate at the Centre for Humanitarian Leadership, shares her experience while visiting the Gaza Strip and highlights how persons living through humanitarian crises can teach us the importance of compassion and support for each other, especially to those suffering illness or dying.

Tragedies like bushfires force us to face grief and death. Jessie Williams, CEO of The GroundSwell Project, discusses the importance of connecting with each other when facing grief, death and dying, and how the project helps communities live, grieve and die in line with their values. 

(Image: Murray Lowe Photography)

Advance care planning (ACP) can improve end of life care in line with a person's wishes. But is it a Western concept that can be applied to other countries? Yumi Naito a registered nurse and masters student at Flinders University discusses how ACP is enabling decision making at the end of life in Japan.