Community comes together for Circle of Care Expo 

Ringwood RSL was full of warmth and connection on Wednesday 15 July, as local organisations and community members gathered for the Circle of Care Community Expo, a free event held in recognition of the national Dying to Know Day on 8 August. 

The Expo brought together service providers from across the eastern suburbs, including palliative care specialists, funeral directors, financial advisers, grief support organisations and aged care providers, to help attendees feel more informed and prepared when it comes to ageing, caring, death, dying and bereavement. 

Dovida Community Engagement Officer Shona Ashworth helped organise and run the day, and said the turnout reflected just how much appetite there is for these conversations. 

“The idea behind the Expo is to bring together local organisations that support people at different stages of life’s journey. Often people don’t know what services are available until they find themselves in a crisis. At Dovida, we support around 12,000 older Australians nationally, so we see this play out often, families reaching out to us for the first time in the middle of a crisis, when a little earlier information could have made things so much easier. We wanted to create a welcoming space where people can learn, ask questions and connect with services before they need them.” 

Throughout the day, attendees moved between presentations covering advance care planning, funeral and financial planning, community palliative care, residential aged care navigation, and the power of touch and connection in care. Dovida’s own session focused on the new federal Support at Home program and the end-of-life pathways available to older Australians and their families. 

The event closed with a panel discussion featuring Eastern Health’s clinical director of supportive and palliative care, Dr Aaron Wong, Dovida palliative care nurse practitioner Kathryn Bennett, and Compassionate Friends Victoria chief executive Alex Hamilton, who spoke to the value of early, honest conversations about end-of-life care. 

For Shona, the reason events like this matter comes back to something simple. 

“I’d love people to remember that they’re not alone. Whether you’re caring for someone, planning ahead, facing illness, experiencing grief, or simply wanting information, there is a network of support available.” 

To learn more about Dovida’s home care and Support at Home services, visit dovida.com.au, call 1300 008 018, or email care@dovida.com.au.