Over the next week the Ballarat community is being encouraged to talk about dying and their final wishes as they approach the end of life. It’s part of Palliative Care Week, which is aimed at breaking the taboo around death.

Grampians Regional Palliative Care team manager Jade Odgers said talking about death should not be frightening, rather something people should feel comfortable discussing with their family.

“We’re all scared about dying ... the unknown can be frightening to talk about. But it’s something we need to be open to talk about rather than trying to make decisions on the run,” she said.

“I think people are frightened about it and seem to only talk about it in a crisis situation.

“It’s never too early to chat about dying. Encouraging people to have end-of-life conversations ahead of time can help alleviate a lot of stress for families and carers, and avoid situations where they are asked to make decisions about a person’s care and don’t know what they would have wanted.”

Ms Odgers said sparking the conversation with loved ones and talking about what your family members’ wishes and needs were as they approach the end of their life could significantly improve the transition for everyone involved. “If people can have decisions made on their behalf, it is one less thing for families to worry about,” she said.

With two in three Australians believing death and dying is not discussed enough in the community, Ms Odgers said this week was the perfect chance to clear up any confusion surrounding palliative care.

“People often think palliative care is giving up,” she said. “It’s about changing the point of care, moving from treatment to family support; it’s about quality of life rather than curing it. 

“It’s not just end-of-life care, we also give support to families. We don’t postpone death, but we don’t hasten death either.”

Ballarat Health Services palliative care physician Dr Greg Mewett, who believes the topical debate surrounding euthanasia among many communities could also be a reason why some people were not talking about palliative care, said it was important not to confuse the two.

“In many ways it should not be seen in comparison. It’s not one versus the other,” he said.

Dr Mewett said accepting palliative care did not mean giving up, but death was something that should not be ignored.

alicia.thomas@fairfaxmedia.com.au