Q&A. Love it or loath it, or maybe a bit of both. But there is no denying that it strikes a chord with a sizable portion of the Australian population who would perhaps rather not be watching A Current Affair, Today Tonight or their new lovechild: The Verdict. Continue reading
Thanks to our colleagues at Palliative Care News for this article
Source: Main predictors of death at home
Prof Patsy Yates sharing her reflections on setting up a NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in End of Life Care at the PCRNV Breakfast Forum
For the third year in a row, the Australian Palliative Care Research Colloquium was held at the Rendezvous Grand Hotel in Melbourne on October 22-23. The meeting was once again preceded by a breakfast forum hosted by Palliative Care Research Network Victoria (PCRNV), which served as a tempting entrée to the two-day main course of fantastic presentations and workshops exploring a diverse range of topics pertaining to palliative care research. Conversations about research continued over tea and meal breaks, next to quality poster presentations, and during the convivial conference dinner on the banks of the Yarra. Continue reading
Today (in some parts of the world) it’s Halloween or, as Caitlin Doughty (@TheGoodDeath) calls it, “Culturally Sanctioned Morbidity Appreciation Day.” Please enjoy these links, which have nothing to do with Halloween but may have something to do with palliative care.
Is death taboo? The Groundswell Project conducted a quick survey. The results may surprise you. (The Groundswell Project)
Health researcher on a mission to get Indigenous men talking about prostate cancer and sexual health (ABC News)
“It’s about starting a conversation…[Doctors need to] throw in a phrase like how you going, how’s the old boy, is he getting up, is he getting the job done?”
“…I find men want to talk about it, but someone has to start the conversation with them.”
The silver tsunami is actually silver-brown. How does end-of-life care differ for minorities? asks geriatrician and palliative care doctor VJ Periyakoil (@palliator) in the Washington Post.
Pulitzer prize-winner Tina Rosenberg visits La Crosse, Wisconsin, home of the Respecting Choices program, where 96% of adults reportedly participate in advance care planning discussions. (Talking Early About How Life Should End, New York Times).
And now, a video about advance care planning!
Going to work, writing letters for the future and speaking your mind: Day-to-day living when you know you’re dying (Independent, UK)
In Australia: Federal Government to legalise growing of medicinal cannabis; Labor calls for nationwide scheme (ABC News). Apparently, we’re all for it: Legalised medical marijuana opposed by only 7% of Australians, poll shows (Guardian Australia)
Here’s a strange story to finish the list – “Parkinson’s disease: Scottish woman Joy Milne prompts study after claiming ability to smell condition.” Odd. Thanks to my colleague Dr Bornshin for the link. (ABC News)
And we are back! After our very successful inaugural tweet chat last month, let’s rock again with our next effort, and Let’s talk about death, baby together with Palliative Care Australia.
A tweet chat is a virtual meeting on twitter. This chat has the hashtag #pallANZ. Remember to use this hashtag in all your tweets, otherwise people will miss your comment. If you are not familiar with tweet chats, check out our Twitter 101 and 102 articles on this site.
Victorians are being urged to have their say about the services they want to support them at the end of their and their loved ones’ lives.
Many people with a life-limiting illness die in hospital, when they would have preferred to die at home. Figures show that up to 70 per cent of Australians would prefer to die at home, but only 14 per cent actually do so.
A new Discussion Paper – Greater Say for Victorians: Improving End of Life Care – has been released, and consultation will be undertaken in coming months with health professionals, carers, families and members of the community to develop a new state-wide end of life care framework.
Pop in here http://www.betterendoflife.vic.gov.au to have a look at how you can contribute! Let us know in the comments what you think.
Love, sonia
It’s Pastoral Care Week!
The 2015 theme Spiritual Care Together offers those of us working in the area of palliative care an opportunity to take the time to pause; to reflect, and consider the ways in which we all can, and do, contribute to spiritual care for the dying and their families.
And we’re back for another round!
Following on from the highly successful inaugural #PallANZ tweet chat last month, we are delighted to announce that we will be hosting another tweet chat in November! Join team Palliverse (@Palliverse) and Liz Callaghan, CEO of Palliative Care Australia (@PCACEO), and “Let’s talk about death, baby!” Share your stories and reflections on having THE conversation with your family, friends, patient, doctor, nurse, spiritual counsellor…
Date: November 5th 2015
Hope to see you all there!
This really resonated with me… well worth a read.
A young doctor describing her developing perspective on a “good death”; on dying and end of life care in our healthcare system.
http://www.vox.com/2015/10/19/9554583/doctor-good-death
Sonia
Thinking back to the recent Australian Palliative Care Conference in Melbourne, I was reminded about one of the plenary speaker’s reflections on the first time she, as a doctor, saw a patient after they had died. It prompted me to reflect on my own experience as a nurse, and ask the question – more broadly: who cares, after death?
palliverse.com 