Getting to the Heart of It: The National Palliative Care Week Wrap-Up

 National Palliative Care Week 2026 has now drawn to a close, after a week of conversations, events, shared stories and community engagement right across Australia. Guided by this year’s theme, Getting to the Heart of It: Big Questions. Real Answers., the campaign encouraged Australians to engage more openly with conversations about death, dying, grief, caring, and the role of palliative care in helping people live well at the end of life. 

Across the country, communities came together in meaningful ways to mark the week. From large public events and professional education forums to community conversations, grief cafés, advance care planning workshops, awareness campaigns, and collaborative sector initiatives, National Palliative Care Week highlighted the many ways palliative care touches lives. Landmarks across Western Australia were lit in orange, major summits and education events were held in Victoria and New South Wales, new partnerships and statewide initiatives were launched in South Australia and Queensland, while the ACT brought together families, professionals and community voices to help shape a better future for paediatric palliative care. Stories from regional and rural communities in the Northern Territory also highlighted the dedication of people working to strengthen access to palliative care where it is needed most. Details below share more about our activities in Tasmania.

While National Palliative Care Week is one week on the calendar, the conversations it encourages continue well beyond those seven days. In Tasmania, we were proud to be part of this national movement, creating spaces for connection, learning and important conversations in our own communities.

How Tasmania Got to the Heart of It This National Palliative Care Week

During National Palliative Care Week, important conversations about palliative care took place right across Tasmania. From community events and education sessions to training opportunities and shared stories, the week created space for connection, learning and greater understanding. Palliative Care Tasmania was proud to be part of most of these activities across the state.

“Getting to the Heart of It” Our Key Event

Palliative Care Tasmania’s key National Palliative Care Week event, Getting to the Heart of It, brought around 75 community members, professionals and supporters together at St Luke's Health & Wellness Hub in Hobart for a day of conversation, learning and connection.

The event opened with a powerful lived experience story from Chris Wedd, who spoke candidly about living with stage four cancer for more than five years. “I’ve been so lucky. Usually the survival is only twelve months,” Chris shared. Reflecting on his journey, he spoke about the importance of access to trustworthy information, saying, “During the early stages of my diagnosis, I struggled to find credible information and resources to help plan my cancer journey.”

During the event, Palliative Care Tasmania also launched the new PalliCaring Guide and the organisation’s new website, both designed to help Tasmanians better navigate palliative care and access support when it is needed most. PCT CEO Heather Kent said, “These resources are vital across our community because they are tailored to the Tasmanian context and provide reliable information when you need it most.” Speaking about the website, Heather highlighted the importance of accessible and up-to-date information, including a new support directory to help connect people with the services they may need.

The day also featured the Big Questions, Real Answers panel discussion, exploring common questions and misconceptions about palliative care, while also considering the support available in Tasmania. A key focus was placed upon the importance of care that supports the whole person, their loved ones and cares, enabling individual wishes to be honoured.

The event also marked the beginning of Palliative Care Tasmania’s partnership with 1000 Hearts, with attendees joining in to stitch hearts as a simple act of kindness and connection. The day concluded with a mindfulness session led by Mindfulness Programs Australasia in which we explored why mindfulness matters and engaging in mindfulness practice.

 We thank everyone who joined us and helped make this event such a special part of National Palliative Care Week. More images of the event are available on our Facebook page. Please watch the link below.

Our latest resource , the “Pallicaring Guide”, is now available to order for FREE for Tasmanians

We were pleased to officially launch our new resource, the PalliCaring Guide, during National Palliative Care Week. Based on extensive consultation, this practical guide has been created to support Tasmanians navigating palliative care, serious illness, advanced ageing, caregiving, and planning ahead.

Developed specifically for the Tasmanian context, the Guide brings together clear, easy-to-understand information to help people explore their circumstances, understand their options, make informed decisions, and connect with support when they need it most.

One attendee at the launch shared, “The guide is a great resource during the diagnosis stage, as people search for more information and look for places to reach out for help.”

 The PalliCaring Guide is now available to download or order FREE hard copies via the Palliative Care Tasmania website. If you, a loved one, or someone in your community may benefit from this resource, we encourage you to access a copy. Hard copies are free of charge for all Tasmanians!

Check out our new PCT Website

We were also proud to officially launch the new Palliative Care Tasmania website during National Palliative Care Week, creating a more accessible and user-friendly online space for Tasmanians seeking information, support and connection.

Designed with our community in mind, the new website makes it easier to navigate palliative care information and connect with services across Tasmania. One attendee shared during the launch event, “The new website looks very calm and modern, and finding information is much easier.”

We also received wonderful feedback about the new service directory feature included in the new PCT website, with one participant during the testing phase of the website saying, “We love the new directory. It’s easy to find contact details for different organisations, and the filters by region and services,  makes it really practical to use.”

We encourage you to explore the new website and discover the resources, information and support available for Tasmanians. This will be updated further overtime. Share your feedback with us and help us optimise this vital resource!

Celebrating Compassion and Quality: Tasmanian Palliative Care Awards

During National Palliative Care Week, we took the opportunity to recognise the importance of celebrating the individuals, teams and organisations who go above and beyond in palliative care across Tasmania by officially opening the 2026 Tasmanian Palliative Care Awards for nominations.

Nominations are now open across eight award categories, offering a chance to acknowledge those making a real difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities through compassionate, high-quality palliative care.

 Award recipients will be announced at the Tasmanian Palliative Care Conference on 9–10 September 2026. We encourage you to nominate someone deserving from our palliative care community. Find out more and show you care too!

PCT and 1000 Hearts - co-branded kits are now available to purchase online

During National Palliative Care Week, we were pleased to announce Palliative Care Tasmania’s new partnership with 1000 Hearts, a collaboration grounded in kindness, connection and community.

As part of this partnership, the co-branded Kits are now available to purchase online. These simple sewing kits offer a meaningful way to create small handmade hearts that can be gifted as a gesture of comfort, care and compassion to someone who may need it.

Importantly, a portion of proceeds from every kit sold will support Palliative Care Tasmania’s work across the state, helping fund advocacy, community education, and projects that strengthen palliative care awareness and grief literacy across Tasmania.

By purchasing a 1000 Hearts Kit from PCT, you are not only sharing kindness, but also supporting important conversations and community impact. 

National Conversation: Rethinking Dementia Care

As part of National Palliative Care Week, Palliative Care Australia hosted a special livestream lecture, Rethinking Dementia and End-of-Life Care, presented by Dr Michael Chapman, a national leader in palliative care.

In line with this year’s theme, Getting to the Heart of It: Big Questions. Real Answers., the session explored how we understand dementia, the impact it has on individuals, families and communities, and how more person-centred conversations and practical support can help improve quality of life, dignity and connection for people living with dementia.

Visiting Specialist Palliative Care Units

A Special Visit to Specialist Palliative Care Units in Launceston

As part of National Palliative Care Week, we had the privilege of visiting Northern Tasmania to connect with members of the palliative care ecosystem and hear directly from the people helping shape and deliver palliative care across the region. During our visit, we spent time with the Northern Specialist Palliative Care Service team at the Allambi Building, including Dr Odette Spruitt, while also spending time with Annette Barrett from the Tasmanian Health Services' Primary Health North team. We enjoyed meeting with the passionate Friend of the Northern Hospice Volunteers, and visited Calvary St Luke’s Hospital to connect with the dedicated team supporting palliative care patients and families in Northern Tasmania.

These conversations brought this year’s theme, Getting to the Heart of It: Big Questions, Real Answers, to life. In response to CEO Heather Kent’s question about what “getting to the heart of it” means, Annette Barrett shared, “It’s about having a dedicated palliative care facility in the north, so people have the choice to come to a place like that if they wish to spend their final days there.” Tony Brennan, Tasmanian Director of Pastoral Care at Calvary St Luke’s, also highlighted the importance of Palliative Care Tasmania’s role, saying, “Palliative Care Tasmania’s role is to increase awareness about palliative care in the community and advocate for palliative care matters.” Our interview series from the visit is now available on our website and social media channels.

As a small gesture of appreciation during National Palliative Care Week, we also sent boxes of resources and goodies to each of Tasmania’s Specialist Palliative Care Service units to thank them for the compassion, dedication and care they provide every day. We are deeply grateful to the many individuals, volunteers and services working across Tasmania to support people, families and communities through palliative care.

Delvering donations from the Gift of Comfort project

During National Palliative Care Week, we had the privilege of visiting Peacock One Ward to provide many of the donations collected through the Gift of Comfort project. These thoughtful gifts will help provide comfort and care to people on the palliative care journey and their families.

Lisa Brown, one of the palliative care nurses at Peacock One Ward, who initiated the project, shared her appreciation for the community’s support, saying, “Our team and patients are so happy to see the response from the community, and we hope the community will continue to support us.”

Palliative Care Tasmania CEO Heather Kent, who joined the handover, said the success of this pilot has created an opportunity to grow the initiative further. “This pilot project will now transition into a statewide initiative, and we encourage our compassionate communities to continue supporting this important work.”

"Celebration of Life", A Time to Remember Together in Launceston

As part of National Palliative Care Week, Palliative Care Tasmania had the privilege of attending the Celebration of Life event in Launceston, hosted by the Specialist Palliative Care Service (THS Northern Region) and Calvary St Luke’s Hospital. This thoughtful gathering created a gentle and meaningful space for families, colleagues and community members to come together to reflect, remember and honour the lives of those who have been cared for.

Events like these remind us of the importance of creating space for remembrance, connection and shared reflection within our communities. We extend our sincere thanks to everyone involved in organising this beautiful event and to those who came together to make it such a special part of National Palliative Care Week.

Palliative Care Community Charter Workshop at Queen Victoria Care

Queen Victoria Care CEO Carmen Rocchia shared, “Our commitment to the Tasmanian Palliative Community Charter and PACOP reflects far more than compliance. It is a deeply held commitment to the people we care for, their families, and our teams.” She also highlighted that, “Palliative care is not a moment in time, it is a philosophy of care,” reinforcing the importance of dignity, clear communication, coordinated support, and ensuring each person remains at the centre of decisions about their care. We thank Carmen and the entire Queen Victoria Care team for their leadership, partnership, and dedication to strengthening palliative care across Tasmania.

Grief and Loss Training Across the North and North West

Sessions are being delivered in partnership with organisations and groups across the region, including Ravenswood Community Services Centre, Carer Support Groups through Care2Serve programs, and Clarity HealthCare, alongside an online Learning Through Loss session for those working with children and young people.

These smaller, community-based sessions create space for meaningful conversations, questions, and learning tailored to local needs. This work is an important part of our vision to help build a more grief literate Tasmania, where people feel better equipped to support themselves and others through grief and loss.

As National Palliative Care Week comes to a close, thank you to everyone who joined us in sparking important conversations, sharing knowledge, and helping build greater understanding of palliative care across Tasmania.

We are deeply grateful to our partners, supporters, volunteers, health professionals, community organisations, and every individual who helped make this week so meaningful, and we look forward to continuing these important conversations across the year to come.

Have questions? Either respond to this email or contact the sender on admin@pct.org.au