National Palliative Care Week is a national week supported by the Department of Health to raise awareness and understanding about palliative care in the Australian community .
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The nationwide event is organised by Palliative Care Australia (PCA) and will be held from Sunday, May 19 to Saturday, May 25 with the theme for this years National Palliative Care Week focused on "What matters most?".
PCA will highlight how palliative care can help people with a life-limiting illness to have a high quality of life, right to the end of life.
The week's theme is 'What Matters Most?' which asks Australians to reflect on what would be most important to them if they became seriously unwell. The theme addresses the need for Australians to plan ahead for their end-of-life care and discuss it with their loved ones and health professionals.
The Productivity Commission's recent report into human services found between 80,000 and 140,000 of the 160,000 people who die each year in Australia could benefit from high-quality end-of-life care.
The PCA said that 82 per cent of Australians would ask for palliative care for someone close to them and the demand for palliative care was increasing, with professionals and volunteers needed in the local community to support patients and carers deal with dying, death and bereavement.
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While always an emotional subject, dying is a normal part of life so it is important for all Australians to have discussions about death and dying and they type of care they would want to receive if they could no longer speak for themselves.
Recent statistics show that 79 per cent of Australians think that it's important to talk to talk about their preferences for end of life care, however only 25 per cent has spoken to their family and only 6 per cent had talked to a doctor.
By having a conversation with loved ones and health professionals, people can ensure their treatment and care best aligns with their values and preferences regarding both the type and place of care and place of death.
For more information on palliative care and the 2019 National Palliative Care Week visit www.palliativecare.org.au/national-palliative-care-week-2019.