Compassionate Communities resources
What are Compassionate Communities?
See our fact sheet here.
Compassionate Communities, Greater Choice for At Home Palliative Care
This project conducted by WAPHA in the Great Southern Region of WA was funded by the Australian Government and aimed to improve access to safe, quality palliative care at home and support end-of-life care systems in Primary Health and in the community. A collection of resources was created and are available here. See the website HERE.
Compassionate Communities Networked Care Facilitators Guide
The purpose of the guide is to assist people to facilitate conversations about informal care networks and end of life at home by sharing what has been learnt from Heather and Tony’s Story (see video below). It includes notes and practical tips for showing the film among friends, sporting clubs, neighborhoods, and community organisations to stimulate conversations about how we can draw upon informal networks to help during times of illness, death and grief. Networked Care – Facilitators Guide_final
Electronic resources and reports
- Compassionate communities support death, dying and bereavement
- Visual Map – 2021 – What is a Compassionate Community
- Visual Map – 2021 – The Approach
- Accepting Support for Respite at Home Guide – 2021
Videos
- Albany Greater Choice for At Home Palliative Care Program
- Caring for Josh – 2021
- Compassionate City charter workshops – 2020
- Your voice Your Choice Collaborative ACP campaign playlist
- Heather and Tony’s Story – 2020 7 minute version 7 minute version with subtitles
- Over 50s cycle club during Covid – 2020
- Dementia resource Jeanette’s story – 3mins and Jeanette’s story 1 minute with captions as was used in the Ageism module.
Collaborations
- Your voice Your Choice Collaborative ACP campaign playlist – 2021
Community Art Projects and Dying to Know Day
- In Memory of Ordinary Things community led exhibitions in Denmark and Albany
- Memories Dreams and Reflections and The Sugar Bowl – by local film maker Robert Castiglione capturing stories of love, dying, loss and ordinary things.
Other resources
Auspire – Australia Day Council of WA – Death, dying, grief and loss lunch with leaders
Auspire – Australia Day Council of WA –hosted a free online ‘Lunch with Leaders’ on Tuesday 1 August to discuss death, dying, grief and loss. 2023 WA Australian of the Year and palliative care researcher Professor Samar Aoun talked about the real-life practices that can be adopted by towns, cities, workplaces, schools and venues to support people during death, dying, grief and loss. Professor Aoun was joined by Jessie Williams, Community Manager at CCNB, which delivers Dying to Know Day every year.
Building Compassionate Communities Toolkit
After working with nine community groups around Australia, The Groundswell Project collated the learnings and insights into a toolkit of inspiration and ideas.
Compassionate Communities – An implementation guide for community
Compassionate Cities are communities that publicly encourage, facilitate, support and celebrate care for one another during life’s most testing moments and experiences. This Charter is a statement of purpose and intention, as well as a list of social actions.
Compassionate Communities Communique
This booklet explains what a Compassionate Community is and how it can help people at the end of life. It showcases Australian developments and puts the movement into context internationally.
Compassionate Communities National Forum
The Compassionate Communities Hub provides insights from eight communities around Australia – including Bunbury – which are working to establish Compassionate Communities through the Compassionate Communities National Forum.
Compassionate Communities Network
This informal group is working to promote the principles of public health palliative care. The network is open to everyone in Australia or New Zealand who is interested in social approaches to end-of-life support.
Compassionate Connectors Program presentation at Public Health Palliative Care International Webinar
“The compassionate Connectors program: A distinct form of end-of-life volunteering”, Public Health Palliative Care International Webinar 3 May 2023, presented by Professor Samar Aoun.
Held on 8 August this annual campaign encourages people to start conversations around death. Organising an event or campaign on this day in your community can be a useful way see if there is an appetite for a wider compassionate community program.
Each Community is Prepared to Help
This 47-page brochure from the UK provides extensive advice and practical suggestions for organisations keen to stimulate and extend partnerships with communities. It provides guidance on ambition six of the Ambitions for Palliative and End of Life Care, which is ‘each community is prepared to help’. The brochure’s recommendations are all suitable for local interpretation.
“Matters of life and death – Let’s get it right: A compassionate communities’ approach to caring, dying and grieving”.
Supporting Communities Around End of Life Project
This Victorian project aims to:
- build the organisational capacity of councils around end-of-life
- build community capacity in end-of-life support through local government structures and networks
- improve community understanding of healthier approaches to death, dying and bereavement
- evaluate the effectiveness of this approach.
Weavers are experienced and trained former carers who volunteer to support families and informal carers. The initiative, from the Australian Centre for Social Innovation, has achieved positive outcomes for carers, people being cared for, and volunteers.
Coming events
View allNews and updates
View allPresentation explores the 12 elements to build a better model of palliative care for people with dementia
As a Geriatrician and Palliative Care Physician, the majority of the patients Dr Elissa Campbell cares for have dementia. “I see people throughout the disease trajectory, but … people with…
Winners of Palliative Care in WA Awards announced at gala dinner
The Palliative Care sector came together last night to celebrate the winners of the Palliative Care in WA Awards 2023 sponsored by Silverchain. The judging panel commended the high-quality of…
Ticket sales closing soon to the Palliative Care in WA Awards 2023
If you haven’t purchased your tickets to the Gala Night in Manhattan themed Palliative Care in WA Awards 2023, this is your LAST CHANCE! Join us for a magical evening…
2023 Annual General Meeting and Board nominations for 2024
Nominate for election to the Board Nominations are now open for election to the Palliative Care WA Board for 2024. As the peak body for the palliative care sector across…
Gala dinner and awards promises to be a night to remember
Do you have your ticket to our ‘Gala Night in Manhattan’ themed Palliative Care in WA Awards 2023 on Thursday 16 November? It promises to be a wonderful, not to…
Palliative Care in WA Awards 2023 – Finalists announced
We are excited to announce the finalists for the Palliative Care in WA Awards 2023 sponsored by Silverchain. The quality of nominees was extremely high, with the judging panel commenting…
Join us at our morning tea for carers during Carers Week 2023
Join us at our Carers Week morning tea on Wednesday 18 October 2023 at the Seminar Room, 15 Bedbrook Place, Shenton Park, from 10am to 11.30am where we will acknowledge…
Palliative Care in WA Awards 2023 – nominations deadline extended to Friday 15 September
UPDATE: Nominations have now closed. Thanks everyone for sending in your nominations. Make sure you get your ticket for the gala event. See the link HERE. Do you know an…
Bookings now open for the Palliative Care in WA Awards 2023 Gala Dinner
Bookings are now open for the biennial Palliative Care in WA Awards 2023 sponsored by Silverchain on Thursday 16 November at Beaumonde on the Point in East Perth. The awards…
PCWA guest speaker at Care and Ageing Well Expo
Palliative Care WA’s Advance Care Planning Support Service officer Julia, who assists people with their Advance Care Planning (ACP) documentation, was a guest speaker the ACCPA Care and Ageing Well…
Palliative Care in WA Awards 2023 – nominations now open
The awards acknowledge the efforts of those professionals and volunteers who care for people who are at end-of-life and offer public recognition of individuals, teams and organisations who provide holistic…
Save the date – Palliative Care in WA Awards
A date has been set for the biennial Palliative Care in WA Awards! Make sure you mark Thursday 16 November in your calendar for this prestigious event. The awards and…