A lifetime of decisions
National Palliative Care Week
Proudly working as I do in aged care, and knowing how important such services are to people when they are needed, I am dismayed by the palpable lack of interest in aged care in the recent Federal election campaign.
On one hand, there was bipartisan support for the Quality and Safety Royal Commission, whilst on the other hand, there was precious little focus on aged care services or the broader topics related to ageing.
How should we interpret this void in the national debate on aged care priorities in Australia? What of the more than 128,000 older individuals who have been assessed as needing a home care package service they are not receiving? Is this not a major topic of national importance?
So for all those who are about to start in this new parliament, congratulations on your election to a most important role and responsibility of public service. I ask you to give serious attention to the needs of older individuals who should not have to wait more than 12 months for support to be available to sustain their quality of life.
I note the passing of former Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, whilst living at home. He was a most significant individual and leader with a real vision for the people of Australia, driven by a desire to serve the community. This perspective on service to and in the community was fundamentally instilled in Bob by his parents, with their history of service to others.
As with Bob’s passing, when people die, we celebrate their life, fondly reflecting on their past achievements, school days, character building years and contributions to family and community. However, too often we leave it too late to reflect on our own life achievements, what is most important to us, and how we want to face the inevitable death that lies before us.
This week is National Palliative Care Week, with the theme, “What Matters Most?”.
The key message is to think about this, discuss with those close to you, and plan ahead – to make decisions now so it is easier in the future; to plan for the unexpected; for life in later years, and to consider end of life wishes. This ensures that decisions about your health care can be made on your behalf if you are unable to make or communicate those decisions yourself. This is particularly important for those who are older, frail, or living with a chronic illness, early memory problems, or approaching their end of life.
Learn about Resthaven’s approach to palliative care
Visit these websites for more information:
Palliative Care Australia
palliAGED
Advanced Care Planning Australia
or phone the helpline 1300 208 582.
Opinion piece by Richard Hearn,
Former CEO Resthaven Incorporated
National Palliative Care Week