Room 64 - A Palliative Care Podcast Barwon Health

Room 64 is joined by Jill Mann from Barwon Health's Advance Care Planning team, who shares her experience and the role of the Advance Care Planning program in supporting people to plan for future health, care and medical treatments. The program identifies goals, values and medical preferences where individual needs and priorities are documented for the future.

Who would make medical treatment decisions for you if you were too sick to do this for yourself?

For more information about Advance Care Planning through Barwon Health, visit www.barwonhealth.org.au/services-departments/advance-care-planning or phone 4215 7723.

Kat Dunell joins Room 64 to share her experience with the Barwon Health Palliative Care team, after her husband Brett Smith was diagnosed with melanoma at age 43 and died seven years later.

Given melanoma is the second most common cancer for men in Australia, Kat's message is “Take it seriously. Get your skin checked every year. Find out if you're high risk or low risk”.

This episode features the sounds of the didgeridoo from Michael Cousins, an indigenous healer who supported Brett and his family in palliative care with his connection to land and country.

Room 64 is joined by members of the McKellar Singing Group, as part of the Palliative Care program at Barwon Health. This choir came together through grief and now sings in the McKellar Chapel, celebrating a generosity of spirit through music.

“Bringing a group of bereaved people together... creates a great layer of comfort and hope.”

Clinical nurse coordinator Robyn Matheson joins the podcast to talk about running Barwon Health's Pal@Home program, which won a Victorian Public Health Care Award in the category of “improving the integration of care for patients with chronic and complex conditions”.

During Palliative Care Week, it is important to reflect on the exceptional palliative care service provided by Barwon Health and in this case the Pal@Home team – the difference they make to people's lives simply by giving their patients choice.

“When we think about the human animal bond there’s no time that we’re more vulnerable than when we’re facing the loss of a pet.” In this conversation for World Veterinary Day, Dr Alicia Kennedy from Cherished Pets shares her experiences working in the unique area of palliative veterinary care.

 

Alicia also discusses ways in which Cherished Pets helps support Barwon Health patients who are at the end of life to ensure that their pet will be cared for after their death. She offers insight into how important it is to include pets and to honour the human animal bond when supporting people planning for end of life. The peace of mind that people feel knowing their pets will be loved and looked after when they are no longer able to, is immeasurable.”

 

#CherishedPets  #TheSocial HeartedVet  #PalliativeCareVictoria  #PalliativeCareAustralia #WorldVeterinaryDay

Tonya Court returns to chat with her son Owen, who was six when his father died 12 years ago. Now 18, Owen reflects on his memories of his dad playing Lego and making music, and their connection through his drums, the importance of creating the space for conversations, and that there is “no timeline for grief”.

Find out more about organisations supporting young people with grief and loss:

Wombats Wish - a support group for children in Geelong