Critical funding secured for palliative service

MOUNT Gambier’s In Home Hospice Care Inc (IHHCare) has received a much needed financial boost with a $50,000 grant from the prestigious Wicking Trust.

The critical service that supports compassionate end-of-life care attracted the $50,000 windfall under the Wicking Trust’s Funding Stream One – Community Led, as part of the national 2024 initiative Bringing Death Back into Life.

Managed by Equity Trustees, the Wicking Trust is Australia’s largest charitable trust dedicated to improving the experience of ageing and dying.

The 2024 grant round, investing more than $6 million over three years, aims to improve the experience of dying, death and grieving for older Australians and their families.

The Trust’s focus is to ‘bring death back into life’ through community-led action that engages, educates, and activates individuals and communities to lead support for older Australians at the end of life.

The grant supports programs that:

• Create more open conversations about death and dying – increasing death literacy

• Support older Australians to prepare and plan for dying and death

• Facilitate more connected and coordinated formal and informal care networks

• Enable better access to information and expertise that connects older people to the support they need, when they need it

The Community Led stream specifically funds organisations that primarily exist to substantially benefit older Australians and reflect the needs of their community.

It prioritises local and grassroots programs that tackle complex end-of-life challenges, such as lack of connection, limited access to information and services, and inequity in dying experiences.

It also acknowledges that many Australians feel unsure about their role in end-of-life care, struggle to talk about dying, and feel unsupported in caring for others.

IHHCare hospice manager Sandi Elliott said they were selected for its innovative ‘In the Home’ volunteer palliative support program, which delivers free, non-medical assistance to people with life-limiting conditions and their caregivers—enabling individuals to remain at home, surrounded by comfort and dignity, for as long as possible.

“This grant recognises the growing need in our region for community-led end-of-life support,” she said. “It will allow us to train and support more volunteers, carefully match them with clients, and provide the continuity of care that helps people feel safe, valued, and supported in their final chapter.”

Operating within a 50 km radius of Mount Gambier, IHHCare’s trained volunteers offer companionship, respite for carers, emotional support, and practical assistance.

Their work supports both the patient and their family, easing the emotional and physical load of caregiving at home.

The grant will directly support essential costs such as volunteer recruitment and training, management of client referrals, and the coordination of IHHCare’s range of services—ensuring high-quality care is consistently delivered.

In addition to its in-home services, IHHCare also delivers a Caregiver Education Program, which equips family members with practical skills, information, and emotional awareness to confidently care for a loved one at home.

The organisation also provides Advance Care Planning sessions, empowering older Australians to reflect on and record their future healthcare wishes—ensuring their values and preferences are honoured at end of life.

In Home Hospice Care meets all the Wicking Trust’s priorities through their work, offering a local, community-driven, equity-focused solution that has grown organically to meet a regional need.

Their program builds community capacity, improves death literacy, reduces isolation, and offers older Australians the opportunity to die with dignity, in the place of their choosing.

This funding not only sustains IHHCare’s core operations but also validates the importance of community-based, volunteer-led models of care.

It acknowledges the dedication of local volunteers and sends a clear message to the community: national funders care about the experiences of regional Australians facing end-of-life challenges.