VECCI and Palliative Care Victoria (PCV) are teaming up today to launch two key reports about the impact of life-threatening illness in the workplace.
The reports are based on a project, funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, to develop a `Best Practice Support Model for Life-threatening Illness in the Workplace’.
Two reports and a resources kit will be presented at the launch, which will take place at VECCI on Monday 22 May at 4.00pm. The reports are:
"At any one time, 60,000 people in Australia are living with a life threatening illness that will shorten and reduce their quality of life", says Palliative Care Victoria (PCV) Executive Director, Mr Kevin Larkins.
"One in three people have experienced the death of someone close to them from a life threatening illness in the last five years", says Mr Larkins.
"One in ten people have provided care for someone with a life threatening illness.
"Living with a life threatening illness, caring for someone with a life threatening illness or working with someone with a life threatening illness or their carer is challenging.
VECCI General Manager - Workplace Relations Policy, Mr David Gregory says that our ageing population will cause the impact of life-threatening diseases on workplaces to be greater.
"In the next ten years, as people live longer and stay in the workforce longer, we can expect more and more people in the workplace to be in the position of caring for someone with a chronic disease or life threatening illness or to themselves be diagnosed with these conditions", says Mr Gregory.
"Employers need to be ready for this eventuality and the reports and resources kit to be launched today will be of great assistance in this respect", says Mr Gregory.
For all media enquiries, please contact:
VECCI Strategic Communications
Ph: (03) 8662 5226
email: media@vecci.org.au
About VECCI
The Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VECCI) is Victoria's most influential employer group, servicing over 25,000 Victorian businesses per annum. An independent, non-government body, VECCI was founded by the business community to represent business. Its membership base is diverse, with involvement from all levels and sectors of industry including: business services, hospitality, manufacturing, retail, tourism and emerging sectors. VECCI is involved in every facet of industry and commerce across the State, and its role is to represent the interests of business at a State level as well as nationally.
About Palliative Care Victoria (PCV)
Palliative Care Victoria is the peak body representing palliative care providers and those with an interest in palliative care in Victoria and is a member of Palliative Care Australia. The primary functions of PCV are to meet the needs of its individual and organisational members and to assist the community through education and information. PCV works pro-actively with both government and non government agencies at the state and national levels to develop policy and standards related to providing palliative care |
