National Palliative Care Week: Conversations key to supporting dementia preferences at home

Having the right conversations is central to meeting the palliative care needs of people living with dementia, Bolton Clarke Nurse Practitioner Palliative Care Leanne Davey said.

Getting to the heart of it; Big Questions. Real Answers is the theme for Palliative Care Australia, National Palliative Care Week 2026 this week.

Leanne said with more than 446,000 Australians currently living with dementia, accessing palliative care support early could provide support with symptoms of dementia and help create better outcomes for clients and families.

“Dementia is now the leading cause of death in Australia and most people in the later stages of dementia will need palliative care,” she said.

“Palliative care can complement and sit alongside dementia support, promoting early advance care planning and ensuring people’s choices and preferences for care and medical treatment are supported

“Care might include supporting nutrition and hydration, managing pain, bowels and symptoms, relieving pressure, positioning and massage, mouth and skin care, mobilisation support and spiritual and cultural care.

“Connecting families with respite as symptoms change is also important for everybody’s wellbeing.”

Leanne said Bolton Clarke’s Home and Community Support nurses played an important role in providing ongoing support, recognising and responding to changes early, co-ordinating interdisciplinary care and working with specialised palliative care services to holistically manage symptoms.

“Taking action early to connect with palliative care supports and understand what matters most to the client is the first step to helping people navigate this difficult time as comfortably as possible with the right supports in place.”