Mary Ross-Heazlewood, Palliative Care specialist (Leongatha)

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Love Your Work

With Cathie Agg

14 episodes

6 days ago

Conversations with inspiring locals. Each fortnight, Cathie Agg asks a South Gippsland or Bass Coast local about their all-time favourite job. You’ll hear about the moments they've loved, the lessons they've learned, and the values that drive them. These are insightful personal stories from people, from all walks of life, who share our towns. Hope you enjoy listening! Cathie

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Society & Culture

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Documentary

Society & Culture

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Mary Ross-Heazlewood, Palliative Care specialist (Leongatha)

Love Your Work

1 hour 3 minutes 20 seconds

2 weeks ago

Mary Ross-Heazlewood, Palliative Care specialist (Leongatha)

Let’s not talk about palliative care!

Palliative care, death and dying is a subject that’s taboo in Australia. So, why should we learn about it? Today’s guest answers that question in an informative, elevating, and beneficial way.

On the eve of her retirement, Mary Ross-Heazlewood from Gippsland Southern Health Service in Leongatha, believes palliative care is misunderstood in the community. Having witnessed hundreds of people’s final moments, she’s driven to get the message out about what palliative care is, what it can offer, and what we need to know.

I found Mary fascinating to speak to. She shares beautiful stories about how it can make a difference in people’s lives when it really counts. I hope you enjoy listening to this important conversation … Cathie

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My guest today is Mary Ross-Heazlewood. She’s been a nurse for 46 years, and has spent most of her career on the front line. She’s worked in intensive care for many years, and helped to establish an AIDS unit in Vancouver at the height of the epidemic.

Then, 25 years ago, Mary stepped into the field of Palliative Care, and became Team Leader at Gippsland Southern Health Service in Leongatha. She’s also worked with the Gippsland Region Palliative Care Consortium in education for professionals, and has been as an adjunct lecturer at Monash University.

As you’ll see, Mary’s a very strong advocate for people to learn about palliative care, and to not have a negative feeling about it.

But palliative care, death and dying is a subject that’s taboo in Australia. So, WHY SHOULD we learn about it? Here are THREE reasons:

• The first reason is that having a better understanding of what actually happens as we die can reduce our fear.

• Secondly, some knowledge and planning towards end-of-life care can MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE for our loved one in those final days and months. And as Mary says it can be possible to arrange a beautiful goodbye for them.

• And the third reason that I hope you’ll listen, is that ….. Coming to terms with the inevitability of death can make us appreciate, and live life more fully in the here and now. “It’s life affirming,” Mary says.