DEATH and dying remains a difficult subject for people to talk about and engage with and is often considered a taboo.

This lack of engagement and awareness contributes to a widespread misunderstanding of what palliative care does and what it’s all about.

This week’s National Palliative Care Week (11-17 May) is Australia’s largest annual initiative to raise awareness about palliative care, increase understanding of services, and recognising the skill, dedication and ‘heart’ of the palliative care workforce and volunteers.

The theme for this year’s campaign is “What’s your plan?”, encouraging open conversations about end of life decisions.

It’s a direct approach to Australians and their loved ones to talk about what matters most at the end of life and to make a plan that empowers and respects their choices during the last years, months, and days of life.

Palliative care is person and family-centred care provided to people of all ages with life-limiting illness, aimed at helping people live as well as possible, for as long as possible.

It includes providing high quality health care that is holistic and helps people to manage pain and symptoms to ensure their quality of life is maintained as an illness progresses.

Palliative care identifies and treats symptoms and issues associated with a life-limiting illness which may be physical, emotional, spiritual or social. It is a family-centred model of care, meaning that family, loved ones and carers can also receive practical and emotional support.

The Northeast Health Wangaratta (NHW) palliative care team acknowledge that caring for people as they near the end of their life can takes its toll.

Bereavement care to family and carers after a person dies is also an important part of the service offered by the NHW palliative care team.

The team encourages conversations about palliative care, from the time of diagnosis of a life limiting illness as this can ensure a person receives the holistic end of life care they deserve.

Talking about death is confronting but we encourage all community members to not shy away for these conversations – What’s your plan?

Palliative care is generally provided by a team of health practitioners working together to support you, this often consists of general practitioners, registered nurses, nurse practitioners, allied health professionals, aged care workers, volunteers and carers, as well as specialist palliative care services.

They all play a critical role in delivering the best care and optimising quality of life.

The NHW palliative care team consists of nurses, nurse practitioners, occupational therapist, social workers, medical specialists, volunteers support workers and admin support staff.

To raise awareness about this important issue free screenings of the highly acclaimed film, ‘Live the life you please’ will be shown this week.

The film is about living and dying in Australia and explores the nature of palliative care through a series of personal stories.

It might change the way you think about the last chapter of life.

Screenings include:

Wednesday, 14 May 10.30am at the Bright Senior Citizens Club;

Thursday, 15 May at 3.30pm at NHW Melbourne teaching learning Centre; and

Friday, 16 May at the Wangaratta Library Community Room.

If you would like to attend a screening of the film please call the NHW Palliative Care team on (03) 5722 5184.