World Hospice and Palliative Care Day is Saturday, 11 October, and highlights the importance of quality palliative care as a human right.
This year's theme, "Achieving the Promise: Universal Access to Palliative Care," showcases both the progress made and the work still needed to ensure everyone can access the care they deserve, no matter where they live.
To mark the occasion, we spoke with Ed Gaudian, a long-time leader in palliative care in WA, whose career spans hospital, hospice and community settings.
Ed has seen the field evolve from an oncology focus to supporting people with a wide range of conditions, including neurological illnesses, disabilities and people in custodial care. Yet, he says access remains a major challenge.
"Access is getting tighter. Clients are coming to us later in their health journey, often staying home for longer," Ed explains.
He welcomes recent changes to aged care standards, which require residential services to be better equipped and educated in providing palliative care.
It's encouraging to see a stronger focus on understanding the people we support and ensuring staff are prepared
For Ed, the heart of good care often lies in small but meaningful gestures, whether that's helping a client travel to see family, or simply repositioning a light so someone can enjoy their favourite show again.
World Hospice and Palliative Care Day is a chance to celebrate the dedication of those providing compassionate care and to continue advocating for equitable funding, education, and collaboration to achieve universal access for all.
Cancer Council WA's Palliative and Supportive Care Education (PaSCE) team works to strengthen understanding of and access to quality palliative care across Western Australia.
Learn more:
- Listen to the podcast
- Visit the PaSCE website for care education for health professionals
