Aerial view of people's holding each other hands creating a circle

Kalamunda Compassionate Communities

PLEASE USE Compassion, Support & Crisis Services PAGE

A global movement that encourages our whole community to be involved in supporting people, their families and carers through serious illness or at the end of life.

Do you want to connect with your Community? Are you passionate about helping people? Do you want to play a stronger role in the care and support of people as they age and reach the end of life?

The support we can provide as friends, family, neighbours and community members can give an unwell or dying person and their family much greater choices about where and how they want to be cared for up to and including their dying moments. These choices add greatly to their quality of life during this time.

This support can be a simple as putting out the bins, dropping of some milk, taking their dog for a walk, reading to the dying person or listening to their story.

The Kalamunda Compassionate Communities project will consist of:

Artist in Residence in the Kalamunda Palliative Care Unit (KPCU) and Day Hospice to create artworks that capture residents most treasured memories and generate discussions on end of life and a community workshop to create public art that expresses the community's vision for the project.
A forum, to bring community members together to explore death and dying and showcase the artworks created through the artist in residence program
Engagement and involvement of people with personal experience as well as medical and palliative care services to guide the project
Establish a Kalamunda Compassionate Communities working group to ensure continued support and focus beyond the project and sustainability into the future

Proposed Outcomes

A community with improved understanding and knowledge on dying and death care options and familiarity with starting conversations on death and dying
A community that demonstrates a willingness and capacity to support and care for each other
Projects and initiatives that will support community members, their families and friends facing end of life
Increased community awareness of Palliative Care’s focus to improve the quality of life of patients with a life limiting illness, their families and their caregivers

Useful Resources

Advance Care Planning

Advance Care Planning can help you to have a say in what type of care you receive in the future.
It helps others understand your values, beliefs and preferences for when you are no longer able to make or communicate decisions about your health and personal care.
Advance Care Planning can start at any age. It is best started when you are feeling well and able to make decisions.
Palliative Care WA conduct FREE Advance Care Planning workshops and also provide a support service to help you complete your Advance Care Planning documentation. Further information is available via palliativecarewa.asn.au/advance-care-planning-support-service
Download Advance Health Directive Form

Estate Plans

An estate plan records what you want done with your assets after your death. It can include documents such as:

Your will
A testamentary trust (as part of your will)
Superannuation binding nominations

It also covers how you want to be cared for - medically and financially - if you can no longer make your own decisions. This part of your estate plan may be in documents such as:

Any powers of attorney
A power of guardianship (giving someone the right to choose where you live and to make decisions about your medical care)
An Advance Healthcare Directive (your needs, values and preferences for your future care)

You must be over 18 and mentally competent when you draw up your estate plan.

Further information is available here

Palliative Care WA

The Palliative Care Helpline is a local, confidential and free service for Western Australia providing non-clinical information, support and resources on palliative care, advance care planning and grief and loss.

Call 1800 573 299, from 9am to 5pm, every day of the year

More Information

Would you like to become a community connector or find out more about the project? Please contact: the Community Development Officer – Inclusive Communities (08) 9257 9999 during business hours or email socialinclusion @kalamunda.wa.gov.au .