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From our Director
Professor Jennifer Tieman
RePaDD Director
The last few months have been busy for RePaDD members and many of these highlights are shared in this newsletter. Centre researchers have been active in sharing their work at conferences and presentations across Australia and overseas in the last few months.
The remarkable knowledge, skills and research studies of team members have been on display everywhere, it seems. Just a few examples of the type of engagement that has been happening are a Grand Round at John Hunter Hospital, a plenary at the Australian Nurses and Midwives Conference, participation and plenaries at the Singapore Palliative Care Conference, workshops and presentations in Prague at the European Association of Palliative Care Conference, involvement at the ITAC Conference in Brisbane, and presenting locally at the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation meeting. RePaDD members are actively engaging with the community and raising awareness of palliative care research and the value of research to care and care outcomes.
I would also like to take the opportunity to publicly acknowledge the contribution of our Centre Manager, Jodie Thompson, who recently retired. She has been a driving force in supporting the work that the Centre undertakes, and we wish her happy adventures in her retirement.
Congratulations also to the ELDAC Team, and Dr Priyanka Vandersman, for winning one of ITAC’s four national awards in digital innovation. Great recognition of their work in the digital space to support palliative care in the aged care sector.
Congratulations also to the Flinders teaching team, who have released a new short course looking at Communication Skills for End-of-Life Conversations. This will provide access to the skills needed to provide compassionate, person-centred communication with patients and families. A great addition for the sector.
RePaDD updates
RePaDD at EAPC 2026
RePaDD members recently contributed to the 20th World Congress of the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC), held in Prague, Czech Republic from 14–16 May 2026. Bringing together international leaders in palliative care research, education and practice, the congress explored the theme Palliative Care Research: From strong foundations to new horizons.
RePaDD researchers presented across workshops, oral presentations and posters, showcasing work in rehabilitation, digital health, artificial intelligence, workforce education, and support for unpaid carers. Presenters included Associate Professor Deidre Morgan, Dr Priyanka Vandersman, Professor Jennifer Tieman, and featured work by Dr Sara Javanparast and Dr Seth Nicholls.
The congress provided an important opportunity to share Australian research internationally and contribute to ongoing conversations shaping the future of palliative and end-of-life care.
Farewell to Jodie Thompson
After more than three years as Manager of RePaDD, Jodie Thompson recently retired from her role earlier this month.
Since joining RePaDD in January 2023, Jodie has been an integral part of the RePaDD, bringing professionalism, warmth, organisational expertise and an unwavering willingness to help wherever needed. Her ability to support complex projects, connect people, and keep countless moving parts running smoothly has been deeply valued by staff, researchers and collaborators alike.
Jodie’s calm approach, generosity, and commitment to supporting the team have made a lasting contribution to RePaDD and the broader College community. She will be greatly missed, both professionally and personally.
We sincerely thank Jodie for everything she has contributed to RePaDD and wish her all the very best for a happy and fulfilling retirement.
RePaDD Activities During National Palliative Care Week 2026
RePaDD was pleased to take part in several activities during National Palliative Care Week 2026, supporting this year’s theme: Getting to the heart of it: Big Questions. Real Answers.
As part of the week, RePaDD attended the National Palliative Care Week community event hosted by Southern Adelaide Palliative Services (SAPS) in partnership with Flinders University at Flinders Medical Centre. The event provided an opportunity to connect with staff, patients, families and community members, share information about palliative and end-of-life care, and contribute to important conversations around care, communication and support.
We thank SAPS, Flinders University, event organisers and volunteers for creating such a welcoming and thoughtful community event.
RePaDD also hosted a National Palliative Care Week Morning Tea, bringing together staff and colleagues for conversation, reflection and connection. The event provided a valuable opportunity to engage with the university community and continue discussions around palliative care awareness and education.
A special thank you to Dr Olivia Farrer and Robyn Garrick for organising the morning tea and helping create a welcoming space for discussion during National Palliative Care Week.
ELDAC Recognised at the 2026 ITAC Awards
Congratulations to the End of Life Directions for Aged Care (ELDAC) team on winning the 2026 ITAC Award for Data Insights at the Ageing Australia ITAC Awards.
The award recognises the ELDAC Digital Dashboard, an innovative tool supporting improved end-of-life care in aged care through practical, evidence-informed use of digital technology and existing clinical data. The dashboard supports care planning, clinical insight and decision-making across the sector, helping services strengthen quality end-of-life care for older Australians.
This recognition highlights the growing importance of digital innovation, data and collaboration in aged care, and reflects the strong partnerships between aged care providers, researchers and technology experts working to improve care outcomes across the sector.
Congratulations to the ELDAC team and all award winners recognised for driving innovation and excellence in aged care.
RePaDD at the PCNA Conference 2026
RePaDD is proud to be the Platinum Partner for the upcoming Palliative Care Nurses Australia (PCNA) Conference 2026, taking place from 10–12 June. The conference brings together nurses, researchers, clinicians and leaders from across Australia to explore innovation, evidence-based practice and the future of palliative care nursing.
Several RePaDD members will be presenting across the program, including Dr Claudia Virdun, Dr Yumi Naito, Ms Tricia O’Connor, Dr Caroline Phelan, Jennifer Tieman and Dr Priyanka Vandersman, showcasing research and practice initiatives spanning patient experience, cultural influences on end-of-life decision-making, digital health innovation, symptom management and evidence-based care. RePaDD member Kate Swetenham, President of PCNA, will also serve as a session chair during the conference.
We look forward to supporting this important national event and contributing to conversations shaping the future of palliative care nursing.
The Conversation We Keep Avoiding: RePaDD Seminar Explores Communication and End-Of-Life Care
On 6 May, RePaDD hosted its latest seminar, The Conversation We Keep Avoiding, facilitated by Dr Olivia Farrer and presented as part of National Palliative Care Week 2026.
Bringing together clinical and research perspectives, the seminar explored why conversations about dying and end-of-life care are so often delayed, despite growing evidence that earlier discussions can improve outcomes for patients, families and health systems. Presentations from Associate Professor Tim To and Dr Claudia Virdun examined the challenges of recognising when a palliative approach is needed, alongside the realities of communication and care delivery within acute healthcare settings.
The session highlighted the individual, organisational and system-level factors that shape end-of-life conversations, while encouraging more open, timely and person-centred approaches to palliative care communication.
▶️ Watch the seminar recording
You can also explore recordings from previous RePaDD seminars by clicking the button below.
BMC Palliative Care Collection on Death and Grief Literacy
BMC Palliative Care is currently calling for submissions to a new special Collection focused on Death and Grief Literacy, with RePaDD Director Professor Jennifer Tieman serving as a Guest Editor for the series.
The Collection will explore the knowledge, skills and attitudes that support individuals and communities to navigate conversations and decisions about death, dying and bereavement. Topics include communication about end-of-life care, educational and community interventions, bereavement support, and cultural perspectives on death and grief literacy.
The Collection aims to highlight multidisciplinary research that strengthens compassionate, person-centred approaches to palliative care and bereavement support.
📅 Submission deadline: 24 December 2026
Flinders Palliative Care Short Courses - Enrolments Open
Flinders University offers a range of flexible online short courses designed to help health professionals build practical skills and confidence in palliative and end-of-life care.
Courses available include:
▪️ Certificate in Palliative Care – a foundational overview of best practice palliative care
▪️ Specialist Certificate in Palliative Care – advanced study with credit towards future postgraduate qualifications
▪️ Communication Skills for End-of-Life Conversations – practical training to support compassionate, person-centred communication with patients and families
Developed with industry partners and delivered fully online, these courses support professional development across a range of healthcare settings.
📅 Register by 30 June for July 2026 enrolment.
🔗 Explore the courses: Palliative Care Short Courses
📧 palliativecare@flinders.edu.au
Upcoming Webinar: Assistive Technology in Palliative Rehabilitation
RePaDD member Associate Professor Deidre Morgan will be speaking as part of the upcoming INSPIRE Webinar: Assistive Technology in Palliative Rehabilitation, hosted by the European Association for Palliative Care on 4 June 2026 for World Day for Assistive Technology.
The webinar will explore the role of assistive technology in supporting mobility and quality of life for people with palliative care needs, drawing on insights from the INSPIRE trial and international clinical expertise from Europe and Australia.
A/Prof Morgan will join an international panel of researchers and clinicians to discuss rehabilitation, adaptation strategies and patient-centred approaches to assistive technology in palliative care.
Member's Updates
RePaDD student member Cheng Si recently presented at the 9th Singapore Palliative Care Conference, sharing two co-created posters developed with Dr Caroline Phelan and Dr Sara Javanparast focused on palliative care engagement among Chinese-speaking diaspora communities in Australia. Drawing on her background in social work and culturally responsive palliative care research, Cheng’s work highlights the importance of language, culture and lived experience in shaping access to care and community engagement, contributing to international conversations around equity and inclusion in palliative care.
Dr Yumi Naito recently graduated from Flinders University and has officially been awarded her PhD. Her doctoral research explored cultural influences on end-of-life decision-making in Japan among doctors, nurses and older adults, providing valuable insights into how family-centred decision-making, communication practices and cultural values shape end-of-life care. Yumi’s work strengthens understanding of culturally responsive, person-centred care across different health systems and communities. She will also be presenting her research at the PCNA Conference in June and the MMIRA Global Conference in Brisbane this August.
Dr Lenore de la Perrelle recently presented at the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (SA Branch) professional development day, sharing insights from ELDAC aged care resources and RePaDD’s recent work in palliative dementia care. Speaking to an audience of nurses and midwives, Lenore highlighted the importance of recognising dementia and frailty as conditions often involving a longer palliative phase, requiring earlier assessment, ongoing communication and person-centred support. Her presentation also emphasised the vital role nurses play in supporting conversations with families in aged care settings around preferences, planning and end-of-life care.
Dr Priyanka Vandersman continues to contribute to national conversations on digital innovation in aged care and palliative care. Priyanka recently presented at the 2026 ANMF Australian Nurses & Midwives Conference in Melbourne, where she spoke about the role of digital health in end-of-life care and shared insights from the ELDAC End of Life Directions project and digital dashboard initiative. She also recently featured in Australian Ageing Agenda, discussing the benefits of ELDAC’s award-winning digital dashboard in supporting proactive, evidence-informed care in aged care settings. Priyanka will also be presenting at the upcoming PCNA Conference 2026.
Project updates
CareSearch
National Palliative Care Week blog series
This five-part National Palliative Care Week blog series by Amber Bisset, Mariana Ricci and Kate Swetenham, highlights how the Palliative Care Connect (PCC) service supports people, families, carers, and professionals across South Australia. Reflecting this year’s theme, the series explores some of the important questions people may face when navigating palliative care, grief, bereavement, and access to support.
palliAGED
Embedding Palliative Care Learning in Practice
This new Embedding Palliative Care Learning in Practice service solution helps organisations move from knowledge to action. This service solution provides scaffolded learning and evaluation activities mapped to the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards, that reference the Kirkpatrick Model to support evidence of learning impact on palliative care and end-of-life practice.
End-Of-Life Essentials
Understanding a Wish to Hasten Death
For those living with serious illnesses, challenges can sometimes grow until they can no longer face living. Conveying this is a profound way of sharing with someone else just how much they are suffering. Crucially, this does not always mean that person wants to die.
Learn more in this End-of-Life Essentials blog by Dr Katie Weatherstone,
'Understanding a Wish to Hasten Death: How to Respond'.
ELDAC
ELDAC Digital Dashboard Readiness Calculator
The free ELDAC Digital Dashboard helps aged care services turn existing clinical data into clear, evidence-based insights for palliative care.
Take this quick 2-minute check to see how ready your data and systems are for Dashboard implementation.
Published research
Influence of multi-party consultations on child involvement in clinical encounters: An observational study of paediatric palliative care.
Ekberg S, Danby S, Pitt E, Ekberg K, Watts J, Weinglass L, Bluebond-Langner M, Langner R, Bradford N, Yates P, Fleming S, Delaney A, Duffield J, Herbert A.
This observational study examines how the presence of clinicians and family members influences child involvement during paediatric palliative care consultations. Analysing 60 video-recorded clinical encounters, the research found that children were more likely to participate in conversations when multiple clinicians and family members were present, highlighting the value of collaborative, child-centred approaches to communication and care. Read more
A cost
analysis of implementing facilitated improvements in hospital palliative care using patient reported experience measures: the LEAHP (Listen Empower Act - Hospital Palliative care) bundle.
Button E, Virdun C, Mudge A, Donovan T, Singh GK, Yates P, Phillips JL, Carter H.
This cost analysis evaluates the implementation of the LEAHP (Listen, Empower and Act to improve Hospital Palliative care) bundle, an intervention designed to improve inpatient palliative care through patient-reported experience measures and clinician-led quality improvement. The study identifies the key resource and staffing requirements needed to support implementation, while demonstrating the potential for more sustainable and scalable delivery models in acute hospital settings. Read more
Strengthening death literacy in multicultural communities: Community-led interventions and cross-cultural validation of the Death Literacy Index.
Lakhani A, Rowley G, Dsouza F, Noonan K, Eliott J.
This study explores how culturally tailored, community-led interventions can strengthen death literacy among culturally and linguistically diverse communities in South Australia. Examining interventions across Filipino, German, Italian, and Vietnamese communities, the research highlights the importance of culturally responsive approaches to improving knowledge, confidence, and engagement around end-of-life care, death, and dying. Read more
Models of palliative care for
culturally and linguistically diverse people in high-income nations: A scoping review.
Dadich A, Rowley G, Ooi C, Eliott J, Laurence C.
This scoping review examines existing models of palliative care designed for culturally and linguistically diverse communities in high-income nations. Reviewing the limited available evidence, the study identified four common components across models: culturally sensitive care, family and community engagement, interdisciplinary and community-based approaches, and education and empowerment. While the findings highlight promising strategies for improving experiences and outcomes for patients and families, the review also identifies important gaps in the evidence base and calls for more inclusive, co-produced, and structurally informed approaches to equitable palliative care delivery. 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
