palliative care

VAD laws working, but barriers persist

A new national report shows voluntary assisted dying laws are working safely and compassionately, but major barriers — including federal…

A ‘good death’ has a price

Financial stress is shaping people’s final months, with patients, carers and palliative care staff describing confusing costs, long waits for…

Palliative care: Victoria needs urgent fix

Palliative Care Victoria (PCV) has warned that a rapidly ageing population and increasing demand for services are creating a critical…

2026 may see VAD become available nationally

Voluntary assisted dying is now lawful and being accessed across most – and soon, potentially all – of the country.…

‘Faith-based’ VAD Bill rejected

Proposed legislation that would have allowed aged care providers in New South Wales to block residents from accessing voluntary assisted…

Advocates slam ‘cruel’, ‘ill-conceived’ VAD bill

Eighteen health and legal organisations have signed a joint statement opposing legislation that would allow aged care providers in New…

How VAD will be different in the NT

The Northern Territory remains the last jurisdiction to legalise voluntary assisted dying, however, the delivery of this complex service will…

Collaboration key to aged care innovation

New initiative Hammond Innovations, announced by HammondCare CEO Andrew Thorburn at the Ageing Australia National Conference 2025, seeks to bridge…

Palliative care workforce under siege

A new report by Palliative Care Australia has revealed that escalating demand, coupled with persistent funding constraints and workforce shortages,…

Vic appoints first chief palliative care adviser

Dr Mark Boughey, a distinguished palliative medicine physician with over 30 years of experience, will assume the fixed-term six-month role,…

What aged care staff say about their grief

Research suggests aged-care staff experience a unique type of grief when residents die. However, their grief often goes unrecognised, and…

Palliative care gets $3m funding boost

Vulnerable patients in south western Sydney will receive a $3 million boost from the Minns government for end-of-life care -…

Include palliative care in Medicare reform, says peak body

In light of recent announcements made by the major political parties pledging billions of dollars to a major Medicare overhaul,…

Voluntary assisted dying is legal in Australia – but many of us don’t know

Voluntary assisted dying is lawful in all Australian states. This allows terminally ill adults who are suffering and have decision-making…

Give aged care nurses a voice in digital transformation: Research

Researchers are calling for nurses to have more say in the digital transformation of aged and palliative care, as the…

Offering end of life support as part of home care is important – but may face some challenges

Jennifer Tieman, Flinders University Earlier this month, the government announced major changes to aged care in Australia, including a A$4.3…

Australia is running low on oral morphine. What does that mean for pain relief in palliative care?

Nial Wheate, Macquarie University and Tina Hinton, University of Sydney Australia currently finds itself in the unusual position of being…

Queenslanders’ petition for compassionate assisted dying

Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) laws have been passed in all Australian states and territories with the exception of the Northern…

End-of-life patients suffering unnecessarily due to pain med shortage

In the past year, at least six pain-relief products have become unavailable in Australia. The Australian & New Zealand Society…

Collaborative palliative care pilot project empowers aged care staff

Two Victorian aged care providers are changing the way they deliver end of life care. Peninsula Home Hospice and Vasey…

National Palliative Care Week: Volunteer support integral for quality care

Last year in February, Wally Kewley and his wife Jackie were making plans for their next adventure to Vietnam. However,…

Plans for paramedics to do more to support palliative care patients

Paramedics could play a bigger role in helping palliative care patients die at home under a proposed national framework, which…

‘Not working’: Calls to embed end-of-life care into nursing homes

The Chief of Australia's leading palliative care organisation has called to embed end-of-life services into aged-care homes after new data…

Palliative Care Week: Let’s talk about death and dying

An aged care nurse has called for Australians to become more open in conversations about death and dying during National…

HammondCare launches palliative care program

An aged care provider has spearheaded a palliative care program to raise the sector's awareness and increase support for family…