Jessica Cottom from Amaranth Foundation says it’s important to break the stigma and talk about end-of-life care.
Amaranth’s Jessica Cottom believes palliative care and grief management need more conversation to dispel the stigma.
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She said they are considered taboo subjects and talking about it can allow for a more comfortable passing.
As a first responder Jessica isn’t new to the concept of death.
She has experienced personal loss in her lifetime and is looking forward to bringing these experiences to her role as client services manager at Amaranth Foundation to make those conversations more comfortable.
“It’s always been something that I feel is taboo to talk about,” Jessica said.
“It’s something that should be talked about more often, to alert people that it’s going to happen.
“We need to prepare you so you can end your life how you want to, so that you’re in control; your choice, your plans.”
Jessica attended a workshop last week held by Hammond Care on behalf of Murrumbidgee Primary Health aimed at breaking this stigma and educating local care givers and community members about grief, loss and caring for those in palliative care.
Last week’s workshop was to educate local care givers and the community about grief, loss and caring for those in palliative care.
“We offer aged care as part of our services within Amaranth Foundation and are looking at branching out into more end-of-life care,” she said.
“It’s important for us to have information about palliative care and what those last days look like for a family and for a palliative care nurse.
“This workshop gives us that introduction into palliative care and the last days of somebody’s life and navigating death with a family through that time.”
What resonated the most for Jessica was bringing children into the conversation.
“We spoke a lot about understanding children’s grief and what that looks like in different age groups,” she said.
“Having kids of my own and having them go through grieving great grandparents and wondering did I do the right thing or not?
“It highlights the importance of gauging a better understanding of what grief can look like for children and how to better support them through that.
“But it’s important to understand that this is their choice, we are just a practitioner in the field; it’s the family’s choice and the patient’s choice how they want to live out their last days.”
Murrumbidgee Primary Health and Amaranth Foundation have a range of resources available to the community to help navigate palliative care and Jessica recommends talking to people such as a palliative care nurse or your GP, who can make that referral to a palliative unit.
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