Summit 2026
Pain Presence and Purpose
Aged Care workers are invited to an Online Event exploring the complexities of pain management and it’s impact on the resident, their family, and the staff.
Look forward to a dramatic case study led by experienced actors and practitioners who are leading experts in the field.
You also have the opportunity to learn practical skills around exploring grief, self-care, and collective care in the residential aged care setting. We will explore the different kinds of grief that can be present in this setting, alongside ways to honour your team’s experience of grief, and sustain presence and purpose.
Venue: ONLINE
Date: Wednesday 13th May 2026
Times: 9am – 1pm
Part 1
Dramatized hypothetical
9 – 11 am
A resident in distress, a struggling team and a confrontational son. How will it unfold? A dramatic case study led by experienced actors and practitioners.
Part 2
Self-care art therapy workshop
11 – 1 pm
Join us for a 60 minute workshop exploring grief, self-care, and collective care in the residential aged care setting. We will explore the different kinds of grief that can be present in this setting, alongside ways to honour your team’s experience of grief, and sustain presence and purpose.
This workshop will be facilitated by Registered Arts Therapist, Lucinda Fraser. You do not need to be an artist or “good at art” to benefit from this workshop. We will be focusing more on the process of art making rather than the outcome. Bring along your curiosity and show up as you are – all are welcome.
This is a virtual workshop. Please have ready some paper and something that you feel comfortable making marks with for the workshop. eg. your favourite pen, a pencil, pastels etc.
If you have access to a garden, it would be useful to bring along a small handful of items from nature which you are drawn to. For example, flowers, leaves, stones, petals, twigs etc. However, if you do not have the time or access to do this, this is not strictly necessary to benefit from the workshop.
NOTE THAT TICKETS FOR PART 2 ARE LIMITED – GET IN EARLY TO SECURE YOUR SPOT!
Esther McMillan-Drendel
Esther McMillan-Drendel is a registered nurse and senior healthcare leader with experience across palliative care, intensive care, community health and forensic medicine. She is the Operations Manager of Palliative Care Services at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne and previously founded and led the Victorian Palliative Care Advice Service, a statewide initiative improving access to timely, expert end-of-life care. Esther is known for her compassionate leadership, service innovation, and commitment to equitable, high-quality palliative care across Victoria.
Simon Hore-Thorburn
Simon is a Registered Nurse and has worked in Palliative Care acute facilities and residential aged care in metro and regional NSW. He has also worked in clinical education and capacity building projects in the UK.
Prior to joining PACOP, Simon was a project officer at Palliative Care Victoria as part of the recent CPCiAC funding.
Simon works with Karen Sariego as the PACOP Improvement Facilitators for Victoria/ Tasmania.
Lucinda Fraser
Lucinda is a Registered Art Therapist and Accredited Social Worker passionate about compassionate communities and palliative care.
Lucinda is especially interested in tending to death, dying and grief in ways that centre relationality, embodiment, creativity and collective care. She has worked in palliative care, grief and trauma across the lifespan in community and hospital settings, and also currently works in private practice. You can also often find her walking on a mountain or in a forest, taking photos of mosses and wildflowers.
Shane Douthie
Shane has been involved amateur theatre in the North East on and off since the 1980s, in a wide range of roles, from John Proctor in The Crucible and RP McMurphy in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, to Barney Cashman in The Last of the Red Hot Lovers, Basil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers, and Edmund Blackadder in Blackadder I and II.
His latest performance was opposite Rose Sexton in Waiting For God, portraying his character Tom’s adventures in an aged care centre.
His directing credits include Picasso at the Lapine Agile, Copacabana I and II, and The Rise and Fall of Little Voice and Monty Python’s Life of Brian with Allegro Theatre Company.
He is just at home playing small character roles, especially comedies, but mostly enjoys taking a risk and trying something new.
Colette Quin
Colette has been involved in all aspects of dance and acting for as long as she can remember. She became more involved in acting when she moved to Wangaratta in the early 1990s and has performed with many companies across Victoria. She has appeared in TV commercials and in a yet-to-be-released film. She was the recipient of a Churchill Fellowship studying – Repertory Youth Theatre in the UK in 2000.
In 2009 Colette was lucky enough to audition for and be accepted to study a 3-year Advanced Diploma – Theatre Arts course at GRADA and has completed several short courses with the Victorian College of the Arts and NIDA. Colette is passionate about the performing arts and is currently sharing her knowledge with the Wangaratta Players Inc – “Youthies” Youth Group. She is excited to be undertaking this collaboration with the Hume Consortium.
Dr Kae Wong
Dr Kae Wong is a palliative care specialist doctor based in Albury-Wodonga.
She worked for many years in the area as an obstetrician-gynaecologist, before venturing into palliative care. She counts it the greatest privilege to be able to provide care at both ends of life, particularly as she gets to work with amazing people, everyday.
Rose Sexton
Rose has been nursing for more than forty years across acute, rural and aged care.
She now works with the Community palliative care team in Wangaratta. She is also a life-long actress, singer and performer, and relishes any opportunity where her passions collide!
Rose is also passionate about promoting community capacity for conversations about death, dying, grief and loss and is the co-founder of the Good2go project (g2gproject.com.au)
Jackie Creek
Jackie Creek is an experienced palliative care nurse and healthcare leader with more than three decades of clinical practice across hospital and community care.
She is currently Clinical Coordinator for Community Palliative Care with Northeast Health Wangaratta. Jackie holds postgraduate qualifications in Palliative Care and Healthcare Leadership and was the recipient of the 2024 Palliative Care Victoria Nola Flynn OAM Award for Excellence in Palliative Care Nursing. Jackie has never taken acting classes.
When not at work, Jackie takes pleasure in her newest role as a grandmother, and balancing time between family and interest such as trivia competitions and the Wangaratta Historical Society Museum.
This activity is supported by funding from Murray PHN through the Australian Government’s PHN Program.