Normalise matters of life and death

The AMA welcomes the ‘Matters of Life and Death’ theme of National Palliative Care Week running from 21−27 May.

The event this year focuses on the palliative care workforce which consists of a wide range of integrated and multidisciplinary services including general practitioners, specialist palliative medicine physicians, other medical specialists, palliative care nurses and pharmacists as well as other allied health professionals and support staff.

AMA President Professor Steve Robson said each of these groups, together with volunteers, play a unique and vital role in supporting people with life-limiting illness to receive comprehensive,
patient-centred care throughout their illness, both in the home and in health care settings like hospitals, aged care facilities and palliative care facilities.

“Death, dying, and bereavement are all unavoidable and integral parts of life, but we struggle with them. Even for health care professionals, reflecting on and discussing death with patients and their families can be profoundly confronting and difficult.

“We need to be able to have open and frank discussions and be educated about death and dying, so we can normalise and encourage discussion on these topics, both in the medical profession and in the wider community.

“There is a lot to understand about the role and purpose of palliative care, advance care plans, non-beneficial treatment, caring and bereavement. We could all be better prepared if we took the time to look into these issues and what it means for families. National Palliative Care Week is the perfect time to do this.”

The National Palliative Care Week website profiles health professionals and volunteers highlighting their experience and life lessons in supporting patients and their families with life-limiting illnesses.

The AMA’s Position Statement on End-of-Life Care and Advance Care Planning 2014 sets out what good quality end-of-life care should look like.