Building community capacity in end-of-life care and dispelling misconceptions are themes of a recently published editorial in the journal Palliative Care and Social Practice.
Co-author Professor Samar Aoun AM, Perron Institute Research Chair in Palliative Care at The University of Western Australia, said most care in dying, death and grieving happened outside clinical settings, with family and social networks providing support.
“The fundamental shift from ‘death is a medical or professional problem’ to ‘death is everyone’s business’ does not happen when people continue to see end-of-life care as solely a professional concern,” Professor Aoun said.
“Compassionate Communities, a community-centred approach, first emerged to restore the social and spiritual aspects of hospice care which had been overlooked when these services were mainstreamed as palliative care,” Professor Aoun said.
“The model, gaining momentum, mobilises communities to share the responsibility of supporting individuals facing dying, death and grief.
“Communities offer social support, belonging, meaning and ongoing participation, which clinical care alone cannot provide.
“Emerging evidence suggests that as well as improving quality of life and social connectedness, Compassionate Communities decrease unnecessary healthcare utilisation, leading to significant cost savings.”
Professor Aoun is also the Chair of Compassionate Communities Australia.
“The Compassionate Communities approach is not simply another model of healthcare service delivery,” said Co-author Dr Yong Hao Ng, National University of Singapore and currently at the Perron Institute and UWA as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow.
“With clearly defined, complementary roles, health professionals manage complex medical and social issues, while Compassionate Communities identify and connect the extensive yet fragmented support systems that already exist – families, neighbours, faith-based groups, volunteers, community programs, and health and social care services – weaving them into cohesive networks.
“By mapping existing resources and creating visible pathways between them, Compassionate Communities transform scattered acts of individual compassion into coordinated collective action, ensuring no one navigates dying and grieving alone.”
There is an upcoming one-hour webinar presentation and panel discussion on Thursday 5 February 4pm AWST/SGT, 7pm AEST, 8am UK, titled: ‘Public Health Model of Bereavement Support 14 Years On: Use, Misuse and Opportunities’. The speaker is Dr Yong Hao Ng (National University of Singapore). Panel members are: Prof Samar Aoun AM (University of Western Australia and Compassionate Communities Australia), Prof Julian Abel (Compassionate Communities UK), Ms Orla Keegan (Irish Hospice Foundation) and Assoc Prof Geok Ling Lee (National University of Singapore).
To register, visit: bit.ly/3YajvJX and register by 3 February.