+++Trigger warning+++ In this conversation, we talk openly about dying, grief, and palliative care. If these topics are sensitive or painful for you, please take care while listening.
Palliative Care can be thought of as a taboo topic but how and why should we can change this mentality? Western Sydney Local Health District's, Director of Supportive and Palliative Care, Sally Greenaway joins us to discuss.
In this episode, Dr Greenaway will explain what palliative care truly is — not something reserved for the final days of life, but a supportive approach that can begin early in an illness to help people live as fully and comfortably as possible. Listeners will hear her unpack the misconceptions that palliative care is “giving up,” and instead describe it as a way of improving quality of life, managing symptoms, supporting decision-making, and aligning care with a person’s values and goals.
Dr Greenaway will talk about what living well with a life-limiting illness looks like: relief from pain and distress, support for emotional and spiritual needs, and care that includes not just the individual but their whole family. She will give examples of how palliative care teams help people continue meaningful activities, maintain independence, and make informed choices.
Listeners will also hear Dr Greenaway address fears that palliative care hastens death or reduces treatment. She will clarify that palliative care is safe, evidence-based, and can be provided alongside curative or life-prolonging treatments, always focused on what matters most to the person.
A big part of the conversation will explore why society struggles to talk about dying — and how avoiding these conversations can make the end of life harder. Dr Greenaway will discuss how communities, families, and clinicians can become more comfortable acknowledging death as a natural part of life.
She will also reflect on how modern medicine has often turned dying into a hospital-centric event, and how palliative care can help reconnect us with the social, cultural, and human aspects of dying — from honouring rituals and traditions to creating space for connection, storytelling, and meaning.
Another theme you will hear is trust: how palliative care builds stronger relationships between patients, families, and clinicians by ensuring that decisions are transparent, collaborative, and free from bias. Dr Greenaway will emphasize the importance of listening deeply to people’s fears, identities, and preferences.
Because families are profoundly affected, the expert will describe how palliative care teams support caregivers and loved ones — helping them prepare emotionally, make practical plans, avoid trauma, and feel supported before and after the loss.
The episode will also offer practical guidance for anyone considering palliative care: how to start the conversation with a GP or specialist, what questions to ask, and what to expect from a palliative care team.
Finally, listeners will hear touching stories or examples of how families work with palliative care teams to create meaningful moments at the end of life — witnessing a birth, celebrating a milestone, saying goodbye — and how thoughtful planning can help ensure a peaceful, dignified farewell.
