News

As part of National Palliative Care Week, Western NSW Primary Health Network held a Dying to Know Day event in Parkes. This was one of a series of community events aimed at encouraging open and informed conversations about death, dying, and end-of-life planning.

A very engaged group of over 110 community members attended, and they had plenty of questions about end-of-life care for the speakers. Locals came together to hear representatives speak on palliative care, advance care planning, VAD, Carer Gateway, CanAssist, legal information, and aged care packages.

“These strong turnouts show that communities in Western NSW are ready to engage in conversations once considered too difficult,” said event organiser and Western NSW Primary Health Network Aged and Palliative Care Integration Officer Hayden Welsh.

Our Volunteer Services Support Program Manager, Kate Bowman, was present representing Palliative Care NSW alongside clinicians from the Lachlan Health Service. Over tables full of resources on palliative care and information for family and carers we had many conversations with people about the care and supports available to them.

There was lots of interest in palliative care volunteering. Volunteer Coordinators Tony Fisher and Kim Sheridan and volunteer Garry Phipps from Parkes Neighbourhood & Community Information Centre Palliative Care Volunteers were present helping to spread the word about the unique role of volunteers in the palliative care space.

Images L-R: Left photo – Lee MacKenzie RN, Dr Catherine Stewart VMO, Izzy Humphries RN from Lachlan Health Service, Kate Bowman PCNSW. Right photo – Garry Phipps, Kim Sheridan, Tony Fischer from Parkes Neighbourhood & Community Information Centre Palliative Care Volunteers, Kate Bowman PCNSW.