Press Release

As Palliative Care Week 2024 approaches, the All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) is calling on people in [county] to think about palliative care and to talk to family, friends and people in their community about what palliative care means to them.

The Palliative Care Week 2024 campaign will take place on 8 – 14 September and is dedicated to raising public awareness and increasing understanding of palliative care and its benefits. Its goal is to better inform people in communities across the island of Ireland about what palliative care is, when it may be needed and the benefits it can bring to the quality of life to those living with a life-limiting illness, their families, carers and those close to them.

This year’s theme is ‘You, Me and Palliative Care’.

It reflects the commitment of AIIHPC and its member organisations to emphasise the message that palliative care affects us all, and the importance of community in the provision of palliative care services and supports.

With this theme in mind, a first of its kind all-island event will take place in Newry on 9 September. The Compassionate Communities in Palliative and End of Life Care Conference is a free event open to the public which aims to promote a compassionate response from communities to support people with palliative care needs including at the end of life and bereavement supports for families and friends. The conference will raise awareness about the challenges people face when dealing with dying, death, and loss in our communities, highlight successful community responses and initiatives, and discuss constructive solutions to build more equitable compassionate communities.

Karen Charnley, AIIHPC CEO, said:

“This year’s theme of ‘You, Me and Palliative Care’ was chosen to remind people about the different ways that palliative care can touch any of our lives. It may be through our own journey or that of a friend or family member. It may be as a health care professional who experiences caring for someone with palliative care needs and those close to them. Palliative care is everyone’s business and there is always support available.

Community is our focus this year and our Compassionate Communities Conference will underpin this key message. The conference will hear from organisations and individuals across the island of Ireland, as well as personal stories.

This year for Palliative Care Week we want to connect with as many people as possible in and help them to be better informed about all aspects of palliative care.”

Fintan Fagan, Chair of AIIHPC and Chief Executive Officer, St Francis Hospice, Dublin added,

“We want to encourage conversations about palliative care among families and communities, to inform those who feel that they may need support now or in the future and make it easier to ask those necessary questions and to feel more reassured and comfortable to seek the information that they need from their healthcare providers.

We also want to emphasise the value of community and of being responsive to the needs of others in our own communities who may be receiving palliative care, it may be just having a chat with our neighbour or sharing information about supports in your local areas.”

Take our short survey to test your awareness of Palliative Care:

Palliative Care Survey

  • To find out more about Palliative Care Week, visit: https://thepalliativehub.com/palliative-care-week-2024/
  • For those with an interest in promoting a better understanding of palliative care:
  • Download the leaflet, poster and other resources and share with your family, friends, colleagues, your local groups, or your online community.
  • Share your own palliative care experience story on social media during Palliative Care Week 2024 using #pallcareweek.

For more information on the Compassionate Communities Conference, visit: CompassionateCommunities2024

AIIHPC is encouraging people to get informed and to share this information with their family and friends, and any local groups they are in, during Palliative Care Week 2024.

Any groups or individuals wishing to obtain leaflets and/or posters can contact AIIHPC by calling +353 1 4912948 or by emailing info@aiihpc.org.

-ENDS-

For further information or to request a spokesperson for interview, contact: 

Robyn Kelleghan + 353 85 800 1275 or Aileen Gaskin on +353 87 772 4717

Notes to Editors:

The All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) is a collaborative of hospices, health and social care organisations, universities and charities on the island of Ireland. AIIHPC advances education, research and practice to improve the palliative care experience of people with life-limiting conditions and their families.

AIIHPC works with a group of visionary partners who recognise the value of working together to achieve a better, richer experience of palliative care for people with life-limiting conditions. The organisation’s 27 partners (16 Republic of Ireland / 11 Northern Ireland) are:

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

Bumbleance

Dublin City University

Dublin University Trinity College

Foyle Hospice

Galway Hospice Foundation

Irish Hospice Foundation

Irish Cancer Society

LauraLynn Children’s Hospice

Marie Curie

Marymount University Hospital & Hospice

Milford Care Centre

Northern Health and Social Care Trust

Northern Ireland Hospice

Northwest Hospice

Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services

Public Health Agency

Queen’s University Belfast

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust

Southern Health and Social Care Trust

South East Technological University

St. Francis Hospice

University of Galway

Ulster University

University College Dublin

Western Health and Social Care Trust

AIIHPC receives funding from a range of sources including member organisations, the HSE, Public Health Agency, Health Research Board, and Health and Social Care R&D Division, Public Health Agency.