The NSW Government is investing more than $4.4 million in non-government organisations to enhance support and care for people nearing the end of their life.
The End of Life and Palliative Care Non-Government Organisations Grants Program will provide more than $3.5 million in funding over four years to six organisations, including peak body Palliative Care NSW.
Palliative Care NSW has been funded $671,076 to deliver an expanded Community Conversations program across NSW, which builds community capacity to have conversations about what matters most and to start advance care planning.
They will also deliver the PalliLEARN formal learning program, a course-based program designed to cultivate knowledge and compassion around death, dying and grieving.
The five other grants through the End of Life and Palliative Care Non-Government Organisations Grants Program have been awarded to organisations to deliver a broad range of community initiatives across NSW:
- Bullinah Aboriginal Health Service has been funded $632,250 to deliver End of Life and Palliative Care initiatives in co-design with the Bullinah Aboriginal community.
- Waminda South Coast Women's Health & Wellbeing Aboriginal Corporation has been funded $670,019 to deliver End of Life and Palliative Care initiatives in co-design with the Waminda Aboriginal community.
- ACON has been funded $610,000 to establish a comprehensive 'Taking Control' End of Life and Palliative Care program, building on their existing co-designed LGBTQI+ toolkit for Palliative Care and End of Life decisions.
- Community Broadcasting Association of Australia has been funded $365,203 for the 'Your Story, Your Decision' project, using community radio stations to deliver relatable information about end of life and palliative care.
- The New South Wales Council for Intellectual Disability has been funded $560,119 to deliver training and e-learning for health professionals, people with intellectual disability, their families and carers.
Through a separate NGO grants process, Palliative Care NSW has also been awarded $900,000 over three years to continue the delivery of the NSW Palliative Care Volunteer Services Support Program.
This program champions palliative care volunteering, and supports palliative care volunteers and volunteer services, and their development.
For more information on Palliative Care NSW and its initiatives supporting people nearing the end of their life, as well as their families and volunteers, visit https://palliativecarensw.org.au/
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health, Ryan Park:
"The NSW Government is committed to enhancing palliative care services and supports for all people across NSW.
"These NGO initiatives that have been awarded grants will provide increased death and grief literacy, promote knowledge and implementation of advance care planning and provide increased grief and bereavement support for families and carers.
"The NSW Government also recognises the central role that volunteers provide for the delivery of compassionate palliative care and support for patients and families."
Quotes attributable to Palliative Care NSW CEO Kirsty Blades
"Palliative care volunteers are actively involved in offering support and companionship to people receiving palliative care, their family, and carers.
"In NSW, there are currently more than 1,100 volunteers from 38 palliative care volunteer services. Services may provide, among other things, psychosocial support, carer respite, grief and bereavement support, and biography work, in hospitals, and at home in the community.
"Funding of the Palliative Care Volunteer Services Support Program provides resources, education and support to palliative care volunteers and volunteer services and helps build capacity in the sector."
