You shouldn’t just wait to die – you have to keep living.”
Palliative care has long been associated with rest and reflection, of coming to terms with your fate and making peace with your life.
However, a recent trip to Singapore has Victorian CEO Sonya Smart re-thinking the traditional delivery of palliative care within her organisation, and beyond.
May 19-25 is Palliative Care Week, aimed to open up conversations around the end-of-life and what more can be done to support people on the journey.
VMCH CEO Sonya Smart returned from Singapore in April following an exploratory visit to a number of palliative services.
VMCH offers palliative care to aged care residents at the end-of-life stage, and through its specialised palliative comfort care centre, O’Neill House, in Prahran. And while tranquillity and peace are the hallmarks of O’Neill, Ms Smart says her visit inspired her to consider a new type of offering.
Organised by VMCH Board Director and Palliative Care Consultant Dr. Natasha Michael, the trip was part of the organisation’s commitment to prioritise best practice and innovation in the palliative space.