Capacity Help: Translating Public Health Palliative Care Concepts into Practice is a new project being funded by COORDINARE to demystify death, bereavement, and grief across the Southern Eastern NSW region and build community understanding about end of life.

Palliative and end of life care needs are changing as less people are dying suddenly or from familiar illnesses such as cancer. People are living longer with life limiting illnesses such as heart disease, lung disease, neurodegenerative disease, dementia, and frailty.

The types of care and support that an individual, their families, and carers may need as people are approaching end of life will vary and may include support from health professionals as well as from family and community.

A public health approach to end of life and palliative care requires a whole-of-system approach. It focuses on early discussions and social approaches to the experiences and challenges surrounding death and dying. The community is seen as an equal partner in the long and complex task of providing quality support and health care at the end of life.

Capacity Help aims to increase community awareness of the community supports, and services available in relation to loss, ageing, dying, and grief as well as how we can discuss and support one another around dying, death, and bereavement.

The project will enhance opportunities for collaboration among health, aged care and disability care providers, business, not-for-profits organisations, palliative care volunteer managers, government, and community to enhance end of life experience for the residents of our region, their relatives and friends.

Find out more about Capacity Help and other end of life care services we partner with on our End of life care page for the community.

Community, End of life care, Illawarra Shoalhaven, Southern NSW