Events

‘Live the life you please’ film screening

Monthly Death Cafe

At a Death Cafe people, often strangers, gather to eat cake, drink tea and discuss death in an accessible, respectful and confidential space.

The objective is ‘to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives’

Death Cafe is held on the first Sunday of the month at Mojo’s, Victoria Street, Bunbury from 10.30 am – 12 noon.  For more details contact Deb at swdeathcafe@gmail.com or 0407 608 297.

Follow Death Cafe South West on Facebook 

Dying to Know Day – August 8

Dying to Know Day is an annual event across Australia to promote community knowledge and understanding about talking about end of life with family and friends so they understand and know your wishes. Each year the Network runs a series of events for Dying to Know Day. We will publicise the activities on this page in the lead-up. If you’d like to go on our mailing list to receive the program for the next Dying to Know Day when it becomes available please email us.

To find out more about the Dying to Know Day movement visit dyingtoknowday.com

2022 Getting Dead Set Research | An overview of Australian attitudes and behaviours around death, dying and end-of-life planning

2022: Perron Institute Symposium: Compassionate Communities – Reframing Palliative Care

Recognising that 95% of care provided to people at end of life is informal care, rather than formal services, there is growing interest in using the compassionate communities approach to support people with a life limiting illness or chronic disease.

This Symposium provided the opportunity to hear from world leaders in the field of using the compassionate communities approach to palliative care (Dr Julian Abel, Dr Libby Sallnow and Prof Samar Aoun) and to learn from the findings and possible extension to other regions, of an innovative pilot project running in Western Australia’s South West (our Network’s Compassionate Connectors Program), which used trained volunteer compassionate community connectors to support patients and their family carers. 

Positive comments received from the Symposium included:

  • Thank you for running the ComCom Symposium last week- it was excellent and the data from the connectors program is amazing. I am hoping in time we can adopt your model for my health service. 
  • It’s great to see momentum building around compassionate communities – your work is really helping with that.
  • Thanks so much. Insightful and motivating symposium. Keep up the fantastic work. We can grow this social movement if we keep giving it momentum 
  • Terrific presentations today and great to get a broader perspective on what is different – and what is very much the same – in a range of communities. Thank you.
  • Thanks everyone. very uplifting and inspiring session. thanks to Samar and her team for putting this session on and continuing to spread this information so that others can learn.

View the Program here.

For more information on the event and to view recordings of the individual speakers visit Perron Institute.

2021 State Forum: Let’s Build a Compassionate and Connected WA

In August 2021, the South West Compassionate Communities Network of Western Australia ran a statewide forum with a focus on arming people with the tools to build compassionate communities in their areas as well as showcasing current projects based on a compassionate communities approach. Key presenters in this space were Prof Samar Aoun, Prof Allan Kellehear, Jessie Williams, Bonnie Tompkins, Dr Andrea Grindrod, A/Prof Bruce Rumbold and Mayor of Albany Dennis Wellington.

It was attended in person by 180 people from all walks of life and professions (a rare opportunity in this pandemic time!) plus those on livestream.

If you missed it, a link to the Livestream recording of the event is available here – YouTube LiveStream Link

Thanks again to the sponsors who made the event possible.

View the full Program

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