Palliative Care Booklet Launch – Community Lunch

On 9 September 2026, Polish Community Care Services (Polcare) and the Polish Community Council of Victoria (PCCV), in partnership with Palliative Care Victoria (PCV), hosted a special community lunch to officially launch the Polish-language edition of the “Being Prepared as a Family Decision-Maker” booklet.

The event brought together members of the Polish community, seniors, carers, community leaders and representatives of Palliative Care Victoria. It provided an important opportunity to discuss palliative care, advance care planning and the often challenging role of family members who may be required to make healthcare decisions on behalf of a loved one.

The program commenced with an Acknowledgement of Country, followed by a warm welcome from Bozena Iwanowski OAM, CEO of Polcare. The event also highlighted the long-standing collaboration between PCCV and Palliative Care Victoria, which began many years ago through a joint initiative with the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) aimed at improving the Polish community’s understanding of palliative care and the support it can provide to individuals and families.

A significant moment of the event was the official launch of the Polish-language booklet by Kate Johnson, Board Member of Palliative Care Victoria. Representatives of PCV spoke about the purpose of the resource and the importance of providing culturally appropriate and accessible information to people from diverse communities.

The newly translated booklet is a valuable resource for Polish-speaking families. It explains in clear and accessible language how family members can prepare for the responsibility of making decisions for a loved one who may no longer be able to make or communicate their own healthcare decisions.

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to our GSS Sport Group, whose members generously participated in the photo session for the booklet. Their involvement, enthusiasm and willingness to contribute helped make the Polish edition more authentic, welcoming and reflective of our community. We are very grateful to all members of the group for being part of this important project.

The launch was followed by lunch and informal conversations, giving participants an opportunity to ask questions, share experiences and engage directly with representatives of Palliative Care Victoria.

The event demonstrated the value of long-term collaboration between mainstream health organisations and ethno-specific community organisations. By providing trusted information in the Polish language and within a culturally familiar environment, initiatives such as this help reduce barriers to accessing palliative care information and support informed conversations within families.

Polcare and PCCV sincerely thank Palliative Care Victoria for its ongoing partnership, support and commitment to improving access to palliative care information for Victoria’s Polish community.

We also thank everyone who attended and contributed to making the launch a meaningful and informative community event.

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Download the booklet from the Palliative Care Victoria website. Explore other resources available in Polish on the PCV website.

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