Access to supportive care, palliative care and end-of-life care are essential for persons living with an advance illness. In this course, community health and social care professionals will be offered a foundational overview of psychosocial issues faced by their clients living across illness trajectories in the community, and consider their roles in providing holistic support.

Course outline

Part I: An introduction to palliative care, end-of-life care & supportive care (PES) – Framework, Models & Illness Trajectory

Part II: Contemporary perspectives in PES care – Decision- making in PES Care, Advanced Care Planning, Lasting Power of Attorney and Grief Management

Part III: Partners in PES care – Caregivers, Inter-professional Teams, Care Management, PES Care Resources and Self-care of the Professionals

This course will involve didactic lectures, small group discussions, course materials posted on online learning portal.

Please refer to the brochure here.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

1. Outline the philosophy, models and settings of palliative care, end-of-life care and supportive care (PES)
2. Define illness trajectory and its impact on psychosocial well-being
3. Understand symptoms and treatments
4. Apply the biopsychosocial and spiritual framework of assessment
5. Understand decision-making at end-of-life
6. Understand Advanced Care Planning and Lasting Power of Attorney
7. Understand types of grief and grief management
8. Involving caregivers & family members as care partners & service users
9. Working within and across inter-professional teams
10. Understand care management, referral and co-ordination in PES care
11. Understand resources and schemes applicable to PES care
12. Recognize the importance of self-care of the professional
13. Translate knowledge into clinical practice

Allied Health Professionals, Psychosocial Care Staff, Community Nurses, Clinicians, Administrators and Managers leading care teams in community health and social service agencies supporting clients with life- limiting/threatening illnesses and early career professionals in supportive, palliative and end-of-life care.

Ms CHEE Wai Yee, MSc Palliative Care
Executive Director | Master Social Worker                                                                                                                  The Compassionate Network

Dr Gilbert FAN, RSW, FAPA
Master Medical Social Worker at National Cancer Centre, Singapore. Member of the International Workgroup on Death, Dying and Bereavement

Ms ONG Gillian, RSW, AThR
Senior Medical Social Worker / Senior Art Therapist at Dover Park Hospice

Ms PEH Cheng Wan, RSW, MSocSci Counselling
Principal Therapist and Co-Founder, LivingPath Private Limited. Social Work Fellow in Palliative & End-of-Life Care at Beth Israel Medical Center, New York City

Fees before subsidy: SGD 784.80 per person (including 9% GST)

*Prevailing fee subsidy for staff working in eligible Community Care organisations:
90% for Singaporean/PR and 45% for non-Singaporean/PR.
*Organisations will be billed the amount after subsidy.

Date and time: Next course run will be in 2025

Venue: TBC

For enquiries, please email to enquiries@palc.org.sg.