2024 Palliative Care Summit – registrations open, program released

Palliative Care WA is proud to present the 2024 Palliative Care Summit – Navigating the crossroads: Building the intersection between palliative care and neurodegenerative disease on Thursday 21 November 2024 at Pan Pacific Perth.

An exciting program has been developed including keynote addresses from Professor Susan Kurrle AO, Curran Professor in Health Care of Older People, Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney, and Professor Hsien Seow PhD, Canada Research Chair in Palliative Care and Health System Innovation, and Professor in the Department of Oncology, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada.

Accomplished in their fields, Sue and Hsien, will be joined by other experts for a full program of presentations and workshops at this year’s summit.

The summit will be opened by Hon Amber-Jade Sanderson Minster for Health; Mental Health, followed by speakers Dr Shirley Bowen, Director General of Health, and Dr Neale Fong, CEO of Bethesda Health Care.

Other speakers include:

• Dr Natalie Huitema – Registered psychologist and sexologist specialising in the intersection of sexuality, ageing and consent, who will be joining online from the USA
• Prof Samar Aoun – Perron Institute Research Chair in Palliative Care, University of Western Australia; Chair, Compassionate Communities Australia, PCWA Board Member.
• Lenni Duffield – CEO Huntington’s Australia
• Professor Alan Harvey – Emeritus Professor and Senior Honorary Research Fellow in the School of Human Sciences and Conservatorium of Music at UWA
• Andrew Allsop – Director Clinical Operations, Palliative Care, Silverchain WA and Bernadette Nowak – Clinical Nurse Manager, MPaCCS, Bethesda Health Care

A panel discussion facilitated by Di Darmody will include:

• Vicki Barry (Care partner and Young Onset Dementia Advocate)
• Janet Wagland (General Manager – Disability, Brightwater)
• Richard Newman (CEO – Carers WA)

We will also hear from Alzheimer’s WA’s Friends in Harmony Choir

The afternoon session will comprise workshops featuring:

• Professor Hsien Seow – Canada Research Chair in Palliative Care and Health System Innovation and a Professor in the Department of Oncology, McMaster University.
• Professor Susan Kurrle AO – Curran Professor in Health Care of Older People, Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney
• Sabena Lund – Community Education and Projects, PCWA
• Dr Peta Murray – Senior Lecturer in the School of Media and Communication at RMIT University, Melbourne.

Please see the summit program for details on how the workshops will run.

Our Major Sponsor for the summit is Bethesda Health Care, and Valued Sponsors include Carers WA, St John of God Health Care, Palliative and Supportive Care Education at the Cancer Council WA, Silverchain, Hesta, Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, and Brightwater Care Group.

We also acknowledge the WA Department of Health End-of-life Care Program for their funding and the Lockwood Charitable Foundation for their support and thank them for their generous commitment to Palliative Care WA.

Keynote speaker Professor Susan Kurrle’s visit has been supported by Parkinson’s Western Australia and Keynote speaker Professor Seow’s visit has been supported by MNDAWA. A big thank you to both those organisations.

Thank you to all our sponsors and supporters for all for helping to make this biennial event possible.

Register for the summit HERE. You can attend in person or online.

The full program is available HERE.