Australia’s Community Resource Hub
Find practical resources, research, organisations and tools that support caring, ageing, serious illness, dying and grief.
Whether you’re an individual, carer, community member, health professional or organisation, the Resource Hub makes it easy to discover trusted information from across Australia and internationally.
Search by keyword, topic, audience or resource type to find the resources most relevant to you.
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Start with a keyword search or browse by category to explore practical resources, organisations, research, videos and tools.
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Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsEnd-of-Life Care
Conversation #2: Community supported End-of-Life care.
Conversation video exploring how neighbours, families, and local networks can share practical support alongside formal end-of-life care.
Compassionate Communities and Connections
Compassionate Communities Youtube Channel
YouTube channel featuring Compassionate Communities Australia videos, conversations, and public education content for community learning and advocacy.
Compassionate Communities and Connections
Conversation #4: Compassionate Communities Getting Started.
Conversation-series video sharing practical starting points, examples, and reflections for people wanting to begin compassionate community action.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsPreparing and Planning for End-of-Life
Demystifying Compassionate Communities
Short video unpacking common misconceptions and explaining the approach as shared community support around dying, death, caregiving, and grief.
End-of-Life Care
Conversation #9: Dying art home, a lucky dip?
Conversation examining the uneven realities of dying at home, including practical supports, uncertainty, and family experience.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsEnd-of-Life CarePreparing and Planning for End-of-Life
Conversation #6: Home funerals through a Compassionate Community lens
Conversation exploring home funerals as a community-based practice, including practical, cultural, and relational aspects of after-death care.
Compassionate Communities and Connections
Home: Who’s Got My Back?
Short film exploring who steps in with practical and emotional support when serious illness, dying, or grief affects everyday life.
End-of-Life Care
Conversation #8: Honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wisdom at Life’s End.
Conversation highlighting Indigenous wisdom, cultural practice, and community perspectives on caring, dying, and honouring life’s end.
End-of-Life Care
Hospices: Walking With, Not Ahead. Reimagining End-of-Life Care with Families and Communities
Talk exploring hospice practice that works alongside families and communities rather than taking over care at end of life.
End-of-Life Care
Conversation #1: Hummingbird House & the role of hospices in connecting communities that care.
Conversation with Hummingbird House on how paediatric hospice care can strengthen communities of care around children and families.
Grief and Bereavement
Public Health Model of Bereavement Support 14 Years On: Use, Misuse, and Opportunities
Talk revisiting the bereavement support model, where it is misapplied, and how communities and services can use it better.
End-of-Life Care
Reimagined Aged Care: From Transactional Systems to Relational Care
Talk challenging transactional aged care and advocating relationship-based models built on connection, dignity, and mutual support.
End-of-Life Care
Residential Aged Care: Service Redesign
Conversation exploring how residential aged care can shift from transactional service models toward more relational, compassionate design.
Compassionate Communities and Connections
Shaping Compassionate Community-Led Responses with Local Government
Recorded discussion on how local government can partner with communities to design practical, place-based responses to caring, dying, and grief.
ArtsExpression & Meaning
Conversation #3: The role of arts in death.
Conversation exploring how arts practice helps people express grief, make meaning, and engage communities in death-related conversations.
Compassionate Communities and Connections
Transforming Health Service Culture from Within: Embedding Compassionate Communities
Recorded forum presentation focused on changing health-service culture by embedding compassionate communities thinking inside formal care systems.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsPreparing and Planning for End-of-Life
Video Explainer: Demystifying Compassionate Communities
Brief explainer outlining what compassionate communities are, why they matter, and how shared support complements formal care.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsPreparing and Planning for End-of-Life
What are Compassionate Communities (PDF Guide)
Introductory brochure explaining compassionate communities as a practical way to grow local support for illness, ageing, dying, caring, and grief.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsPreparing and Planning for End-of-Life
What are Compassionate Communities? Video Explainer
Introductory video describing compassionate communities as local networks that strengthen care, connection, and support during serious illness and grief.
Compassionate Communities and Connections
Who are you, what can be your role?
Preparing and Planning for End-of-Life
Conversation #5: Working together: Health services and communities.
Conversation on partnering health services with communities so formal care and local support networks work together more effectively.
Compassionate Communities and Connections
Compassionate Community Roles
A short descriptions of roles that help a Compassionate Communities to function
Compassionate Communities and Connections
Recipe - How to Bake a Compassionate Community
Baking instructions for getting started with your Compassionate Community
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsResearch Knowledge and Evidence
The Compassionate Connectors Program. Brief report by Prof Samar Aoun AM
The Compassionate Communities Connectors Program is a volunteer-led initiative designed to enhance the social networks of families living with chronic or life limiting illnesses. The research trial which consisted of the development, training, implementation and evaluation of the Compassionate Connectors Program was undertaken in the South West of Western Australia, from 2019 to 2022, in partnership with the health service.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsResearch Knowledge and Evidence
Compassionate Communities: Presentation Prof Samar Aoun AM
Learnings from the Compassionate Connectors program in Western Australia.
Compassionate Communities and Connections
Compassionate Communities: Why We Need Each Other at the End of Life with Professor Samar Aoun AM
What if the future of end-of-life care doesn't lie in hospitals, but within our communities? In this episode, I sit down with Professor Samar Aoun AM, internationally recognised palliative care researcher, Founder and Chair of Compassionate Communities Australia, and one of Australia's leading voices in grief, bereavement and public health approaches to end-of-life care.
Preparing and Planning for End-of-Life
Advanced Care Planning Australia
National planning hub with step-by-step guidance, resources, and support to record future health-care wishes and decision-makers.
Grief and Bereavement
Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement
National service providing grief counselling, training, resources, and professional development across bereavement and loss support.
Compassionate Communities and Connections
Become a Compassionate City_PHPCI
Linking cities into the Compassionate Cities movement, with pathways to endorsement, charter guidance, and international examples.
Preparing and Planning for End-of-Life
Bern Declaration
Bern Declaration, the movement’s international statement connecting public health palliative care with civic action.
End-of-Life CareResearch Knowledge and Evidence
Bringing Our Dying Home
Research exploring how communities can better support people to die at home through social networks and practical help.
Compassionate Communities and Connections
Carers Australia
National peak body providing advocacy, policy, and practical support for unpaid carers across health, disability, and aged care.
Compassionate Communities and Connections
Carers Gateway
Australian service gateway offering counselling, coaching, respite pathways, and practical support for unpaid carers.
End-of-Life CarePreparing and Planning for End-of-Life
Caresearch
Evidence, quality, relevance, and collaboration are the cornerstones of CareSearch's approach to supporting palliative care. Here we share with you how we do business and why it matters.
Compassionate Communities and Connections
Compassionate Albany Charter
Albany’s local charter committing the whole community to support people, families, and carers through serious illness and end of life.
Compassionate Communities and Connections
Compassionate Bunbury Charter
Bunbury’s community charter setting out local aspirations for talking about illness, death, and grief, alongside practical collective action.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsEnd-of-Life Care
Compassionate Cities: global significance and meaning for palliative care
Compassionate Cities programs are civic efforts to contribute to the work of palliative care by providing a variety of supports – educational, interpersonal, policy-oriented – for the end of life care needs for people from all walks of life in the wider society...This article argues that these very same initiatives are essential in palliative care in addressing similar challenges at the end of life.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsEnd-of-Life CareGrief and BereavementPreparing and Planning for End-of-Life
Compassionate Communities
Learn more about how communities are supporting people at the end of life and their families through UK East Suffolk Council support
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsEnd-of-Life CarePreparing and Planning for End-of-Life
Compassionate Communities - Heather and Tony FULL
Tony Agreed to share his story because he believed in helping others.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsResearch Knowledge and Evidence
Compassionate Communities Centre of Expertise
Belgian VUB-led research and practice hub developing tools, living labs, and learning networks for compassionate communities and loss support.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsEnd-of-Life CareResearch Knowledge and Evidence
Compassionate Communities Feasibility Study
National feasibility report examining how Australia could embed compassionate communities through policy reform, community development, and health-system support.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsResearch Knowledge and Evidence
How compassionate communities are implemented and evaluated in practice: a scoping review
Scoping review showing how compassionate communities are implemented in practice, which stakeholders are involved, and how initiatives are evaluated.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsGrief and Bereavement
Compassionate Communities Toolkit
Scottish toolkit of practical ideas and examples to help local communities become more supportive during death, dying, loss, and care.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsEnd-of-Life CareResearch Knowledge and Evidence
Compassionate Communities, Māori ageing and End-of-Life: A systematic review
Systematic review examining how compassionate community approaches intersect with Māori ageing and end-of-life care, including equity and cultural fit.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsEnd-of-Life CareResearch Knowledge and Evidence
Compassionate Communities: An Implementation guide for community approaches to End-of-Life care
Step-by-step guide covering principles, setup, implementation, and measurement for community approaches to end-of-life care across civic settings.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsEnd-of-Life Care
Compassionate community structure and function: a standardised micro-model for End-of-Life doulas and community members supporting those who wish to die at home
Journal article proposing a micro-model showing how end-of-life doulas and community members can organise support for home dying.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsEnd-of-Life CareGrief and BereavementPreparing and Planning for End-of-Life
Compassionate Connectors Project 2021
The Compassionate Connectors project supports people living with advance life limiting illnesses/palliative care needs.
Listen to Mary's story, whose husband Malcolm was diagnosed with a life limiting illness. Mary was connected to a trained Community Connector, Jenny, who worked with Mary and Malcolm to determine what additional social supports they needed.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsEnd-of-Life CareResearch Knowledge and Evidence
Compassionate Connectors: a distinct form of End-of-Life volunteering
Study of a volunteer model where connectors mobilise family, friends, and neighbours to strengthen everyday support around end of life.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsResearch Knowledge and Evidence
Developing Compassionate Community: Insights from the International Standards for Community Development
Article linking compassionate community practice with international community development standards, drawing on dying-at-home research and community development theory.
End-of-Life CarePreparing and Planning for End-of-Life
Discussion Choices - Indigenous Advance Care Plans
Culturally adapted planning resource using stories and prompts to support advance care discussions with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
End-of-Life CarePreparing and Planning for End-of-LifeResearch Knowledge and Evidence
End-of-Life Care Planning in Diverse Individuals Across Age Groups
Study exploring how people from varied backgrounds and age groups approach end-of-life planning, family involvement, and decision-making.
End-of-Life CarePreparing and Planning for End-of-Life
End-of-Life information in Community Lanugages
Information about palliative care and end-of-life care issues helps you to plan and make decisions. This page includes links to trustworthy sources of information available in different languages. Where available the English version of each resource is listed under 'English'. Select your language to get started.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsEnd-of-Life CareGrief and BereavementPreparing and Planning for End-of-Life
End-of-Life University Podcast
End-of-Life University began in 2013 as a 5-day interview series on topics related to death and dying. It was a phenomenal event that attracted a much larger audience than expected and so EOLU became an ongoing series. Compassionate Communities gets a mention as they develop a 'passion tank' around Compassionate Communities.
End-of-Life Care
Feasibility of a rural palliative supportive service
Rural health study assessing whether a community-based palliative support service is practical, acceptable, and useful in regional areas.
Compassionate Communities and Connections
Gather My Crew
Online platform that helps people coordinate family, friends, and volunteers to share practical care tasks during illness or crisis.
Grief and Bereavement
Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief
Scottish public education initiative promoting death literacy through campaigns, resources, community events, and bereavement support.
Grief and Bereavement
Grief Australia
Specialist grief support organisation offering counselling, education, and resources for bereavement following death and other losses.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsResearch Knowledge and Evidence
Groundswell Project Impact Report
News summary of a two-year national study across nine projects, highlighting benefits of compassionate communities alongside chronic under-resourcing.
ArtsExpression & MeaningGrief and Bereavement
How can art help with feelings of grief?
Many artists have used their talents to document, understand, and share their experiences of death, dying, grief, and loss. In this podcast episode, we discuss the work of three of these artists: Kay WalkingStick, Georg Kolbe, and Käthe Kollwitz. We’ll explore how grief entered their lives and how art helped them see it in new ways. We’ll also hear from a somatic therapist and a thanatologist (a person who studies death and grief). Together, they’ll help us make sense of this complex experience that affects our bodies, minds, and spirits, and discuss the role of art in helping us heal.
End-of-Life Care
Palliative Care Australia
National peak body providing advocacy, policy leadership, and resources to improve palliative care across Australia.
End-of-Life CarePreparing and Planning for End-of-Life
Palliative Care Resource Library
Advice, tools and support for some of life’s most challenging times. Explore our trusted information designed for every step of the end of life journey.
Compassionate Communities and Connections
Place-based approaches for community change
Discussion paper clarifying Australian place-based and community-led change language, including common tensions when multiple initiatives operate in one place.
End-of-Life Care
Public Health Palliative Care International
International hub sharing frameworks, tools, and examples that position death, caregiving, and grief as community as well as health concerns.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsResearch Knowledge and Evidence
Reducing emergency hospital admissions: A population health complex intervention of an enhanced model of primary care and Compassionate Communities
Population-health study from Frome evaluating enhanced primary care plus compassionate communities to improve outcomes and reduce emergency hospital admissions.
End-of-Life CareResearch Knowledge and Evidence
Research Handbook on End-of-Life Care and Society
Open-access handbook examining death, dying, grief, policy, ethics, culture, and care through interdisciplinary social and legal perspectives.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsResearch Knowledge and Evidence
Researching Compassionate Communities in Australia
Australian longitudinal study documenting how eight communities developed compassionate community work, including barriers, strengths, and strategies for change.
End-of-Life Care
Seniors Law
Specialist legal service supporting older people with issues like elder abuse, housing, finances, and decision-making rights.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsResearch Knowledge and Evidence
Social connection and mortality in UK Biobank: a prospective cohort analysis
Large cohort study linking social connection measures with mortality risk, strengthening evidence that relationships shape health outcomes.
End-of-Life Care
The 10K Initiative: Towards Meaningful Relationships and Network Centred Aged Care
Aged care initiative focused on strengthening meaningful relationships, network-centred practice, and social connection in later life.
Compassionate Communities and Connections
The Compassionate City Charter of Actions
Short charter of civic actions framing compassionate cities as shared responsibility across schools, workplaces, services, and neighbourhood life.
Compassionate Communities and Connections
The Compassionate Communities Movement in Canada - World Compassionate Communities Day 2021
November 1, 2021 is the inaugural World Compassionate Communities Day! This video celebrates all of the amazing work going on across Canada related to Compassionate Community initiatives.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsEnd-of-Life Care
The Compassionate Connector Model of End-of-Life Care: A Snapshot
Snapshot factsheet explaining the South West WA Connector model, how referrals worked, and the social benefits reported by patients and carers.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsEnd-of-Life CareResearch Knowledge and Evidence
The Compassionate Connectors model for End-of-Life care: a community and health service partnership in Western Australia
Feasibility study of a volunteer-led Connector model partnering community members and health services to strengthen support networks at end of life.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsEnd-of-Life CareResearch Knowledge and Evidence
The Compassionate Connectors model for End-of-Life care: implementation and evaluation
Evaluation paper reporting how Connectors mobilised Caring Helpers and improved social connectedness, coping, and network support for families.
Compassionate Communities and Connections
The Language and Practice of Place-Based and Community Led Change in Australia
Framework paper building shared understanding of place-based and community-led change in Australia, with practical language for collaboration and stewardship.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsResearch Knowledge and Evidence
The role and contribution of Compassionate Communities
Lancet commentary summarising why compassionate communities matter for palliative care practice, research, and wider public health systems.
Preparing and Planning for End-of-Life
The Waiting Room Revolution
We started the Waiting Room Revolution because, over and over, we met patients and families living with a life-changing illness who felt unprepared, overwhelmed, and stuck searching for answers in the waiting room. As a physician and a researcher, we knew people could have a better illness experience if they had the same insider knowledge clinicians take for granted. So we created a social movement through our podcast, books, and community to give everyone the skills to navigate illness with confidence and to have more choice and control.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsEnd-of-Life CareResearch Knowledge and Evidence
We are all in this together: Building capacity for a community-centred approach to caring, dying and grieving in Australia
Australian paper examining how community-centred approaches build capacity for care, grief support, and collective responsibility around dying.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsEnd-of-Life CareGrief and BereavementPreparing and Planning for End-of-Life
What is a Compassionate Community?
2017 heralds 50 years since the founding of modern hospice movement in the UK led by Dame Cicely Saunders. As a commemoration, the Lien Foundation seeks to reaffirm the pioneering spirit of Saunders by exploring the state of palliative care in the UK today and creatively inspire those taking steps in new frontiers.
End-of-Life CarePreparing and Planning for End-of-Life
What Matters Most
The What Matters Most for Older Australians Discussion Starter and card pack has been developed for older people using aged care services and those living with dementia. They are designed to be used with health or aged care staff. They can help older people work out what would be right for them, if they were really sick or at the end of their life rather than waiting for a crisis to occur.
End-of-Life CarePreparing and Planning for End-of-Life
Working out what's right for you
The workbook and card pack helps you think about what is right for you and what is not right for you, as your journey moves on. It includes items for thinking about you and your family and community; your health care; preparing for discussion; and reviewing your discussion. There is also information about identifying your decision makers, making a legal will, Advance Care Plan, funeral preparation and more.
End-of-Life Care
World Health Organization – Palliative Care
WHO fact sheet outlining palliative care principles, global need, barriers to access, and its role within health systems.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsEnd-of-Life CareGrief and Bereavement
Yarning about Sad News and Sorry Business
The Yarning about Sad News and Sorry Business Engagement and Consultation Toolkit brings together a range of conversations to provide key messages and considerations shared by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to provide guidance on engagement and consultation processes in relation to palliative care.
End-of-Life CarePreparing and Planning for End-of-Life
Policy nudges toward medicalizing death and their impact on planetary health
Canadian healthcare policies unintentionally "nudge" patients and providers towards the medicalization of death, contributing to low-value care and significant greenhouse gas emissions. The research analyses how inaccessibility to primary and palliative care, default "full code" status, overspecialization, and inadequate home-care supports perpetuate hospital deaths.
Compassionate Communities and Connections
Asset Based Community Development Institute
The ABCD Network is comprised of folks who care deeply about resident-centered community development. We have a 30+ year history of supporting local communities to create positive and sustainable change using the skills, assets and talents community members have within their own neighborhoods.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsResearch Knowledge and Evidence
Reimagining social prescribing through an asset-based community development lens
Argues that social prescribing (SP) often remains stuck in a service-oriented, deficit-based model that treats people as passive recipients of care. The authors propose integrating SP with Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), a strengths-based approach that starts by identifying and mobilising a community's existing skills, relationships, and informal networks rather than mapping needs and gaps.
Compassionate Communities and Connections
A Guide to Asset Mapping
Asset Mapping represents the process of identifying, connecting, celebrating, promoting and mobilising the strengths, resources, skills, opportunities, passions and experiences that exist within a community, to build upon and enhance positive community outcomes.
Preparing and Planning for End-of-LifeResearch Knowledge and Evidence
Ready Connect
ReadyCONNECT supports all of us to understand and build community-centred readiness for life and death, long before it is needed.
The readiness quiz supports people to understand and explore areas where more information, confidence or support may be useful.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsResearch Knowledge and Evidence
Compassionate Communities Where to start guides
These 10 Compassionate Communities Guides for South Australian regions and ages, have been developed with funding from Country SA PHN and Adelaide PHN, with support from SA Health and Carers SA.
Compassionate Communities and Connections
Compassionate Communities SA
Our CCSA program aims to keep LOVE, LAUGHTER and FRIENDSHIP central to people’s lives in the last chapter of life
Compassionate Communities and Connections
Building Compassionate Communities
Learn about what makes a compassionate community as well discovering a practical framework for creating one.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsEnd-of-Life CarePreparing and Planning for End-of-Life
Healthy End Of Life Planning (HELP)
HELP for carers,families and friends
Step-by-step guide toorganising support andstaying connected
For those of us living with seriousillness and age-related health issues
Death Literacy as a Community Practice
Chapter in book: Compassionate Communities in Action. Learning through Skills, Experience, Action, and Knowledge.
Compassionate Communities in Action
Global Stories of Care, Loss and Connection brings together practical examples of compassionate cities and communities from around the world. Together they provide a practical road map, highlighting what has worked and what has been challenging, alongside reflections from the communities profiled.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsEnd-of-Life CareExpression & MeaningPreparing and Planning for End-of-Life
Dying. Start The Conversation.
Dying involves much more than the death of a body. We are talking about care of the spirit, and that spirit has so much to share in the last weeks, days and hours. There are still people dying without grace and dignity. Our conversations can change that. Remembering we are fellow human beings, giving and receiving care amidst our vulnerabilities, fears, and differences.
Compassionate Communities and ConnectionsPreparing and Planning for End-of-LifeResearch Knowledge and Evidence
CONVERSATIONS Creating Choice in End of Life Care
What is the challenge?
The way people are cared for when they are dying is important. End of Life Care impacts everyone, at every age - the living, the dying and the bereaved. It is not a response to a particular illness or condition. It is not limited to a particular group or section of the community.
When it comes to death the statistics are clear. We will all die.
End-of-Life CareGrief and Bereavement
A public health approach to bereavement support services in palliative care
Article examining how palliative care services can organise bereavement support using a tiered public health model.
End-of-Life Care
A Road Less Lonely
Scottish report exploring loneliness, bereavement, and community support, with practical insights for compassionate local responses.
End-of-Life CareResearch Knowledge and Evidence
Aged Care Research & Industry Innovation Australia
National organisation translating aged care research into practical tools, evidence summaries, and workforce improvement resources.
ABOUT THE RESOURCE HUB
Bringing trusted resources together
The Resource Hub brings together practical resources from respected organisations, researchers and community initiatives in one easy-to-search location.
Rather than duplicating information, we connect people with trusted knowledge that already exists, making it easier to find practical guidance, build community capability and support compassionate action across Australia.
New resources are added regularly as the collection continues to grow.
SHARE A RESOURCE
Help grow the Resource Hub
Do you know of a resource, organisation, guide, research paper or practical tool that could benefit others?
We welcome suggestions that align with our mission of strengthening community capability and shared learning across Australia.
Compassionate Communities Australia is the national organisation building community capability through advocacy, practical resources, partnerships and community-led action.
