Banksia Palliative Care Service

Enhance your Palliative Care Skills with Banksia's Essentials Program

Are you a healthcare professional seeking to deepen your understanding of palliative care? Join our comprehensive 2.5 day program designed for Registered Nurses, Personal Care Attendants, Aged Care Facility staff, Allied Health Professionals, and anyone interested in palliative care.

📅Program Dates: Tuesday 23 & Wednesday 24 June, 9am - 4.30pm
& Wednesday 1 July, 9am - 12.30pm
🕘 Time: 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
📍 At our Banksia offices: 472 Lower Heidelberg Road, Heidelberg, Victoria

Course Highlights:
🔹Foundations of palliative care, including culture and diversity and effective communication
🔹Psychosocial support, anticipatory grief, and spiritual care
🔹Symptom management: pain, cognitive changes, dyspnoea
🔹Deterioration and End-of-life care

💰 Pricing:
$795 + GST

This program contributes to 18 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours and is facilitated by experienced Banksia educators with expertise in palliative care.

🔗 Find out more or register now: https://banksiapalliative.com.au/palliative-care-essentials-course/

Empower yourself with the knowledge and skills to provide compassionate, quality care to those in need.

Have you been a recipient of Banksia’s palliative care?
If so, you would know that our service is offered entirely free of charge to everyone in our community regardless of their financial means.

If you can give back to Banksia, your support will go directly to offering additional support to those who need a little extra, such as:
• Paying for taxi hire ($50)
• Purchasing a grocery hamper ($100)
• Providing two-months rental of a wheelchair ($200)
• Provide a hospital bed rental for one month ($500)
Donate today and support your local community https://banksiapalliative.com.au/support-us/ and click on the red ‘Online Donations’ button, or call us on 03 9455 0822.

Your generosity will make a difference to families living with a life-limiting illness.
Every donation over $2 is tax deductible.

You are invited to join us for Banksia's bereavement social group at Bundoora Homestead Arts Centre café. ✨🌿

This group is an informal meetup open to all family and friends of former Banksia Palliative Care clients. It's intention is to connect people with others who share the lived experience of caring for a loved one who has died. It’s an opportunity for a cuppa and informal conversation about life and loss.

The group meets at the café . Those who are interested can take a walk together through the gardens at the end of the meetup.

This group meets on the first Friday of each month and is facilitated by a Banksia social worker and volunteer.

To learn more or register your attendance, please visit: https://events.humanitix.com/bereavement-social-group

Calling all health care professionals interested in Palliative Care!

Join us at Banksia for a free Generalist Advanced Shared Palliative Care (GASP) seminar and dinner on the subject of Anticoagulation, Bleeding and Catastrophic Terminal Events - What do we do at home?

In Australia and New Zealand, significant visible bleeding in a person living with incurable condition(s) is the example most universally considered as a catastrophic terminal event, described by some as an acute episode that is potentially predictable and probably fatal. This can cause significant distress to the patient, family/carers and responding health professionals.

In this program we aim to consolidate on bi-directional learnings between palliative care services at home to enhance care in these complex palliative care scenarios. Bleeding is one of them.

Presented by Banksia experts, this event is accredited for CPD points.

New Date: Tuesday 16 June 2026
Time: 6.30-9pm
Cost: Free. Bookings are essential.
Dinner is included, so please specify dietary requirements within your booking.

To find out more and to book visit: https://banksiapalliative.com.au/gp-palliative-care-education-seminar/

✨Celebrating National Volunteers Week ✨

Meet Lenna, one of Banksia’s Volunteers.

Currently Lenna is one of the people you will speak to if you receive a bereavement call from Banksia. The calls are made to family members who have recently lost a loved one through Banksia’s service. They’re offered as a check-in to see how people are coping with their loss and to remind them that services, like counselling, are still available through Banksia.

“I was really nervous when I started making these calls. With the first one I was really scared. But I know how it feels after someone dies and you’re in a period of bereavement. I apply what I’ve learnt as a social worker and express my empathy and carers appreciate the call and often tell me how much Banksia has been there for them.”

Lenna is passionate about every person having choice and agency as they approach end-of-life. She has witnessed her mother supporting both of Lenna’s grandparents at end-of-life and knows how much easier things can be when there’s a plan and support available.

“Everyone will go through end-of-life – you may as well have choices. I want to learn as much as I can about the choices we have and the support that is there.”

Thank you Lenna for your compassionate support at Banksia 🧡

❤️

🌟 National Volunteer Week 🌟

Today we’d like to acknowledge our amazing team of volunteers in celebration of National Volunteer Week.

Thank you for restocking our equiptment boxes; making bereavement calls; visiting clients; sharing with our carers; recording stories; covering at reception; helping out with admin; being a part of our Consumer Advisory Panel; providing expertise on our Committee of Managemen; and everything else!

All of what you do is integral to the palliative care we provide our clients and carers every day.

Today we acknowledge IDAHOBIT. A day to stand against discrimination and affirm the dignity, safety and inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people everywhere.

At Banksia, we believe everyone deserves to feel respected, supported and safe in who they are, in life, in care, and in community. 🧡

Have you been a recipient of Banksia’s palliative care?
If so, you would know that our service is offered entirely free of charge to everyone in our community regardless of their financial means.

If you can give back to Banksia, your support will go directly to offering additional support to those who need a little extra, such as:
• Paying for taxi hire ($50)
• Purchasing a grocery hamper ($100)
• Providing two-months rental of a wheelchair ($200)
• Provide a hospital bed rental for one month ($500)

Donate today and support your local community https://banksiapalliative.com.au/support-us/ and click on the red ‘Online Donations’ button, or call us on 03 9455 0822.

Your generosity will make a difference to families living with a life-limiting illness.
Every donation over $2 is tax deductible.

Today on International Nurses Day, we celebrate and thank our incredible nursing team for the compassion, dedication, and care they show every single day. 💙

Your hard work makes a difference in the lives of so many in our community, and we are grateful for everything you do. Thank you.