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John Swinton Seminar 29 Feb 2012
Eldercare is pleased to offer a seminar with John Swinton (Aberdeen University & Hospital Chaplain) for the caring community of SA.
John Swinton will address the question of how we face the challenges confronting health professionals, chaplains and clergy in working with people dealing with dementia, mental health problems and end of life palliative care issues. Just to clarify, the $77.00 fee is for the day and covers all three sessions including a light lunch. Download Application Form
Time to Remember
What an impressive first ever Time to Remember campaign! We extend a special thank you to the hosts and their guests who came together to celebrate the memories of special people in their lives. There were BBQ’s, morning teas, workplace luncheons and themed parties and we have received many messages of appreciation and words of encouragement for the opportunity to learn, share and understand more about the vital work of hospice and palliative care. It is fitting, I think, that the original word for this type of care ‘hospice’ evolved from the Latin word ‘hospes’ meaning ‘host and guest’. The Time to Remember campaign reflects exactly that.
Whilst we believe death is inevitable, dying unsupported is unacceptable and this is one of the reasons we united together under the umbrella of the Time to Remember campaign; to change perceptions about hospice and palliative care and to engage with our communities about hospice & palliative care’s mission of care and support for those people for whom disease prevention, early detection and treatment programmes fail and lead to the need for end of life care.
There are still a number of events to be held, and of course you can still register and have a Time to Remember event throughout the year. If you would like to learn more or have a guest speaker simply call the office of visit www.timetoremember.org.au . Thank you once again to those hosts and guests who generously opened their homes and hearts to support the inaugural campaign.
Wendy Jansen, Mary Potter Nursing Research Fellow returns from her Diana Rudd Scholarship trip to New Zealand.
Dianna Rudd was a South Australian palliative care nurse, whose family, upon her death, bequeathed funding to enable South Australian Palliative Care Nurses the opportunity to travel overseas, see new sights and learn about palliative care in other countries.
In 2008 Wendy was awarded a Dianna Rudd Scholarship to travel to the UK to visit Dr John Ellershaw and the team at the Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute in Liverpool with a particular interest in the work they were doing developing the Liverpool Care Pathway. Aware that much of the best practice end of life care was occurring in hospices and specialist palliative care units, Wendy sought to better understand how this best practice end of life care could be applied in other settings such as acute hospitals, residential and community aged care facilities. Those working in the hospice or palliative care movement understand palliative care is specialised care requiring specific skills and expertise; doctors and nurses in generalist areas of healthcare don’t always recognise dying and often need support and direction regarding symptom management, communication and palliative treatment options. Learning more about how pathways such as the Liverpool Care Pathway may assist staff in these other settings was the objective of her learning.
As likely as change is, in the time between being awarded the scholarship in 2008 and July this year when Wendy was finally able to fulfil her travel plans she had given birth to happy and healthy son, and had been appointed the Mary Potter Nursing Research Fellow.
These small but significant changes in her life demanded she reassess her original travel plans and after some time Wendy travelled to New Zealand in July this year visiting four specialist palliative care services to learn about their LCP implementation plans.
Wendy’s visit to New Zealand started at Mary Potter Hospice in Wellington, then she went onto Palmerston North, spending three days at Arohanui Hospice and the National Office for implementation of the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP). She then travelled to Rotorua and spent time with the nurse-led Rotorua Community Hospice team whose hospice cottage sits on the shores of beautiful Lake Rotorua. Wendy’s trip concluded in Hamilton with the Palliative Care Team at Waikato Hospital.
Wendy say she met wonderful teams, and people passionate about improving the delivery of palliative care to their culturally diverse communities and learned that pathways are not problem free, but that using the LCP or similar, pathways can assist to streamline and improve best practice end of life care no matter the setting.
Wendy said she was impressed by the excellent quality of services delivered from these very different organisations, and also witnessed that very familiar passion for this work, which is so present amongst my own colleagues here in South Australia.
Wendy Jansen
Mary Potter Nursing Research Fellow
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Journeys – Palliative care for children and teenagers was launched at an extraordinarily moving morning in Canberra in August. Caring for a child with a life limiting, eventually fatal, illness must be one of life’s greatest challenges.
The first edition of Journeys was written by Sara Fleming and Denise Chang, and this expanded second edition is a remarkable piece of writing. The authors wrote in their acknowledgement:
“This project brought together many extraordinary parents, health professionals, family members and carers who shared a common wish—to help other people by sharing details of their own personal journeys. Their advice and contributions have driven the information in this book.
Most of all, we acknowledge the children and teenagers whose living we learn from and whose lives we honour in this work.”
The launch, at which Minister Mark Butler officiated, included an introduction to paediatric palliative care, where the differences in the conditions encountered was explained compared with adult palliative care where cancer is the commonest diagnosis.
Sonia Sheppard and her husband Darren then told the story of their first son Cody who, after a period of great uncertainty, was diagnosed with Cerebellar Hypoplasia, a condition with severe physical and mental consequences. The story of Cody’ short life and harrowing death is detailed on the PCA website (www.palliativecare.org.au). Sonia and Darren are now facing the future with son Ben, and his younger brother Dylan who, against all odds, has the same condition as Cody, Cerebellar Hypoplasia, but this time they are being supported by the ACT Palliative Care team. They described a very different, much gentler, journey they are taking with Dylan.
For those listening it was a heart wrenching but at the same time, heart warming, story.
Finally, the address by Dr Jonathan Gillis, a Paediatric Intensive Care Specialist, was full of stories and insights from his own experiences in ICU. He spoke of the experience of parents facing the death of a child as “unknowable”. And he described the need of parents to know their child will be cared for no matter what is going to happen, of their fear of abandonment when cure is no longer possible, and the power of simply acknowledging “I know you love your child”. He then told the story of the grief of a Japanese Buddhist monk, Kobayashi Issa (15.6.1763 – 19.11.1827), following the death of his daughter, and used one of his Haiku poems to illustrate the mixture of hope and reality that is part of caring in the face of death. The monk took the image of a dew drop, an evanescent drop of water, and although he understood it would soon be gone, there was an irresistible lingering hope in the last line.
“This dew drop world
Is a dew drop world
And yet…….”
A remarkable morning and a remarkable resource indeed!
As a follow up, at the Palliative Care Awards ceremony , Sara Fleming was given a Special Commendation by the Council to recognize all her work and energy in bringing Journeys to its successful completion.
PCCSA Welcomes New Executive Officer
The Board of PCCSA is very pleased to announce the appointment of Tracey Watters as our new Executive Officer. Tracey began her term of office with us on Monday March 15th.
Tracey can be contacted at 8291-4379 and by email at twatters@pallcare.asn.au
Calendar Dates
"Patient Choice and Professional Responsibility in End of Life Care"
We are delighted to have as the presenter for this topic, Dr Fiona Randall.
Her latest book, "End of Life Choices- Consensus and Controversy",
co-written with Robin Downie is available from Ramsay Books- Phone 08 8231-2069 or email: sales@ramsaybooks.com.au
Dreams, Diversity, Direction
The State-wide Palliative Care Volunteers Conference on 23 May 2008 was a resounding success, with more than 200 people attending, including volunteers from all around SA. Volunteers attending were treated to three diverse keynote addresses during the morning. Mr Hiue Van Le, Lt Governor of SA, shared the amazing story of his journey to Australia (including a very moving and inspiring film) and his journeys with volunteering. Janet Stone, Chair of Volunteering Sa & NT, shared her wisdom about the important connection between volunteering and social inclusion. Sara Fleming from the Paediatric Palliative Care Service shared a story from the coalface of palliative care that pulled no punches and gave the audience a clear vision of the complex issues faced every day in palliative care, and the passion and enthusiasm of the people who undertake palliative caring. Workshop sessions in the afternoon provided volunteers with the opportunity to gain practical knowledge in different areas of interest.
The full Conference report, including evaluation and photos, and some of the presentations are available for download.
Full Conference Report
Volunteering and Social Inclusion
Paediatric Palliative Care
CALD issues workshop
| The Hon Chris Pyne, Federal Minister for Ageing and Member for Sturt, launched National Palliative Care Week 2007 in South Australia on Sunday 20 May 2007 at the Resthaven residential aged care facility in Leabrook, a suburb of Adelaide. The Minister noted the work of the Palliative Care Council of South Australia in promoting the philosophy of palliative care amongst health professionals and in the broader community, and underlining the Australian Government's ongoing commitment to developing palliative care. |  |
| Sharon Bowering, a paediatric palliative care nurse from Adelaide, was presented with the Diana Rudd Fellowship for 2007 - this is an annual award of up to $7,500 to support a South Australian palliative care nurse to travel overseas to develop their professional knowledge and experience the joys (and challenges) to travel. |
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| Mrs Judith Roberts AM and Justice Dr Kemeri Murray AM, representing the SA Commandery of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem, and Mr Harry Powell of the St Peters Rotary Club, presented the Council with donations towards the upcoming publication of the popular Canadian book 'A Caregiver's Guide'. Will Hallahan, Executive Officer, spoke about the ongoing evolution of National Palliative Care Week and the increasing sophistication, across the entire Palliative Care Australia network, of community capacity building, awareness raising and community education, highlighting valuable new resources available at the national level. |
View Palliative Care Week Launch in Pictures |
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About 140 palliative care and community visitor volunteers from all around South Australia came together in Adelaide for the 3rd Annual Statewide Palliative Care Volunteers Conference. Feedback from the attendees was overwhelmingly positive, noting the excellent organisation, great catering, flexible venue and quality speakers. For a more information and pictures on the conference click the link below. |
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For Details on the Conference, |
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Cancellations & Refunds
The Council may publish specific cancellation and refund guidelines with the registration information for individual courses or events. The following general guidelines apply where no specific guidelines are provided.
The Council will refund to students/attendee any fees already paid if a course or event is cancelled or discontinued by the Council and if no mutual suitable alternative date, course or event can be identified.
The Council will refund to the student/attendee who has already paid for an event or course which they can no longer attend:
90% of
the fee if the Council is notified more than five working
days before the commencement of the course or event
50% of
the fee if the Council is notified less than five working
days before the commencement of the course or event.
25% of
the fee if the Council is notified more than seven working
days before the commencement of the Conference
Unfortunately,
there will be no refund if the Council is notified less than
seven working days before the commencement of the Conference.
