From our Director

Research is not always a glamorous life. Social media posts of conference attendances and awards do not show the juggle of teaching, family commitments, and conference, publication, and grant rejections that pepper the lives of most researchers. We all learn to set boundaries, say no, and overcommit for the important things. I see this every day as our researchers continue to make a difference to knowledge, to practice, to education and to communities. We look forward to sharing not just their successes but their efforts to achieve. One of the easiest ways to learn about our work is to sign up for the seminars and learn about these amazing researchers.

One of our warmest supporters is Judith Leeson AM, who has been involved with Flinders and RePaDD for many years. I first met Judith at CareHack, a hackathon looking at how to reimagine aged care. Since then she has been part of the RePaDD Advisory Group, a Caring Futures Institute Ambassador, and most recently a fearless advocate for carers at RePaDD’s Carers Roundtable. She was recently awarded an Honorary Companion of the University by Flinders University, recognising her extraordinary lifetime contribution to education, ageing and aged care. With a remarkable 70-year career spanning early childhood education, disability services and career development for disadvantaged groups, Judith has long been a leading advocate for dignity, equity and opportunity across the life course, including end of life. I too would like to acknowledge the generosity and contribution of Judith and note that she is a delight to engage with. Congratulations on this well-deserved acknowledgement, Judith!

RePaDD updates

First RePaDD Seminar of 2026: Registrations Open

Our first RePaDD seminar of 2026 will focus on palliative dementia care, exploring current evidence, policy directions and priorities for future research and practice.

Palliative Dementia Care: Evidence, Practice and Priorities for the Future will bring together leading researchers to examine how palliative approaches can be better integrated across dementia care pathways, and what this means for people living with dementia, their families and those who support them.

Facilitated by Dr Lenore de la Perrelle, the seminar will feature presentations from Associate Professor Kirsten Moore (APNA) on caregiver needs and quality of life at the end of life, and Dr Zoi Triandafilidis (UNSW) on co-designed, integrated models of dementia and palliative care, with a focus on equity and service access.

📅 Tuesday 10 February 2026
⏰ 12.30–1.30pm (ACDT)
💻 Online via Microsoft Teams

Registrations are now open, and we encourage members and colleagues with an interest in dementia, palliative care, aged care and health policy to attend.

👉 Register here and feel free to share with your networks.

New Report Now Available: Yarning Roundtable Summary

RePaDD and partners have released a new summary report emerging from the Yarning Roundtable held at Yitpi Yartapuultiku in September 2025, focused on culturally safe palliative care for older First Nations people, including the use of telehealth.

The roundtable brought together Elders, kaumātua, consumers, researchers, advocacy organisations, policymakers and practitioners from South Australia and Hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand to share experiences and identify shared priorities. The report captures key themes from yarning and discussion, reflections from presentations, shared visions for culturally safe palliative care, and priority actions to strengthen care across communities.

This collaborative work is led by Dr Rosemary Frey, with A/Prof Aileen Collier leading the South Australian work and A/Prof Matthew Allsop contributing from the UK, and supported by Ms Toni Shearing, Ms Cindy Paardekooper and Mrs Rangimahora Reddy.

Congratulations Judith Leeson OAM

RePaDD warmly congratulates Judith Leeson AM, who has been awarded Honorary Companion of the University by Flinders University, recognising her extraordinary lifetime contribution to education, ageing and aged care.

With a remarkable 70-year career spanning early childhood education, disability services and career development for disadvantaged groups, Judith has long been a leading advocate for dignity, equity and opportunity across the life course. As a Caring Futures Institute Ambassador, she has provided invaluable consumer-focused advice on ageing, aged care and palliative care, ensuring research, teaching and policy remain grounded in lived experience.

Flinders University recognised Judith for her generosity, leadership and enduring impact on strengthening the aged care workforce and improving the lives of older Australians and their families. This honour is richly deserved, and RePaDD is proud to celebrate Judith’s legacy and continued influence across the sector.

Flinders University: Leading Australian Research in Hospice and Palliative Care

Flinders University has been recognised as Australia’s leading research institution in Hospice and Palliative Care in The Australian’s 2026 Research magazine. This ranking highlights the quality, impact and influence of Flinders’ research in this field over the past five years.

The recognition reflects the collective contribution of academic and professional staff whose work continues to advance evidence-based palliative and end-of-life care, with real impact for people, families and communities.

The rankings are based on citation impact in the top international journals, ensuring only high-quality, recent research is considered. This is a strong endorsement of the depth, relevance and international standing of palliative care research led at Flinders.

Congratulations and thank you to everyone contributing to and supporting this important work.

RePaDD Website Update: Our Members

The Our members section of the RePaDD website has now been updated and reflects our full and current membership. This update better showcases the breadth of expertise, disciplines and experience across RePaDD.

Over the coming months, we’ll continue refreshing and updating other areas of the RePaDD website to improve clarity, accessibility and how we share information about our people, their work and impact with the sector.

Member's Updates

In addition to her research achievements, Priyanka will contribute to national discussions on workforce capability as a panellist at Australian Healthcare Week, speaking on digital competency and technology integration for nursing excellence.

Project updates

Published research

Last Aid Courses as a Means for Public Palliative Care Education-A Narrative Review of the Literature and 10 Years of Experience Around the World with Implications for Future Research.
Bollig G, Mills J, Müller-Koch S, Pani P, Neumann B, Zelko E.  
Drawing on a decade of international experience, this review examines how Last Aid Courses and public palliative care education are being used to improve death and grief literacy. It highlights growing global uptake, emerging evidence of impact, and the need for longer-term research on sustained outcomes and cultural adaptation. Read more

Insights from critical care clinicians, patients and families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds about end-of-life care in the intensive care unit: a scoping review.
Sundararajan K, Aziz S, Anderson N, Damarell RA, Raith E, Phelan C, Subramaniam A. 
This scoping review maps what is known about end-of-life communication with CALD patients and families in intensive care settings. It identifies key barriers such as language discordance and limited access to palliative care, alongside facilitators including structured communication, cultural humility and interdisciplinary collaboration. Read more

Exploring the Implications of Aged Care Reform on Allied Health Workforce and Capacity to Deliver Palliative and End-of-Life Care. 
Farrer O, Tieman J. 
Focusing on the Australian aged care reform context, this qualitative study explores how funding models and sector priorities shape allied health involvement in palliative care. The findings underscore the risk that undervaluing allied health limits workforce capacity and undermines person-centred end-of-life care. Read more

'Saying goodbye'. . . A systematic integrative review of palliative caregiving in intergenerational living contexts.
Juhrmann ML, Vandersman P, Damarell RA, Khamis Sharaf A, San Martin A, Donkor A, Salifu Y. 
This review synthesises evidence from diverse cultural settings to examine how intergenerational living influences palliative and end-of-life care. While such arrangements can strengthen support, the review highlights persistent gendered caregiving burdens and the importance of integrating formal services with family care. Read more

"Who are they? What does that mean for care?": An exploratory descriptive study of clinicians' experiences of caring for patients and family members from culturally diverse backgrounds.
Sundararajan K, Subramaniam A, Hanson-Easey S, Thompson C, Phelan C, Doherty S, Plummer M, Mahmood MA, Bloomer MJ.  
Based on interviews with ICU clinicians, this study explores how cultural diversity shapes communication, decision-making and end-of-life care. The findings emphasise clinicians’ responsibility to address cultural and linguistic barriers through sensitivity, openness and proactive care practices. Read more

"There has to be an element of trust first": An exploratory descriptive study of caring for Indigenous Peoples, family, and the wider community in Australian intensive care units.
Sundararajan K, Subramaniam A, Phelan C, Plummer M, Thompson C, Hanson-Easey S, Doherty S, Milera T, Cowling N, Mahmood MA, Bloomer MJ. 
This qualitative study examines ICU clinicians’ experiences of caring for Indigenous patients and families. It highlights the central role of trust, culturally appropriate communication and Indigenous workforce involvement, calling for organisational commitment and system-level change to support culturally safe care. Read more

Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Trauma-Informed Care.
Ho JJ, Brown CK, Bemis H, Cotter LE, DiBiase J, Gerber MR, Greenfield DE, Kusmaul N, Matinrad H, Mills J, Nathanson A, Peck S, Radbill LM, Wallace CL, Rosa WE. 
Offering practical guidance, this paper outlines key principles of trauma-informed care for palliative clinicians. It reinforces the importance of recognising trauma as common, minimising re-traumatisation, and embedding a universal precautions approach to support equitable, person-centred care. Read more

"I thought he had longer than that": family caregivers' experiences of grief, loss, and bereavement in residential aged care.
Vandersman P, Chakraborty A, Rowley G, Tieman J.
Through interviews with families and staff, this study traces how caregiver grief unfolds from admission to residential aged care through to bereavement. It shows that grief often begins early and is shaped by communication, relationships and meaningful rituals before and after death. Read more

Involving Nonspeaking and Speaking Children in Clinical Encounters: An Observational Study of Real-World Clinical Encounters.
Ekberg S, Danby S, Watts J, Weinglass L, Cooke R, Nelson M, Pitt E, Ekberg K, Bluebond-Langner M, Langner R, Bradford N, Yates P, Delaney A, Duffield J, Orr A, Fleming S, Scully M, Ryan S, Herbert A.
Using video analysis of paediatric palliative care encounters, this observational study demonstrates the many ways children, including nonspeaking children, are actively involved in clinical interactions. The findings challenge an overreliance on verbal communication and call for greater recognition of embodied and relational forms of participation. Read more

You can catch up on all of the publications by our members at the RePaDD website.

Want to contribute to RePaDD Updates? 
Please submit your story or feedback to repadd@flinders.edu.au