Ms Melissa Spargo1, Ms Anny Byrne1
1West Gippsland Healthcare Group, Warragul, Australia
Biography:
Melissa has worked for the Gippsland Regional Palliative Care Consortium (GRPCC) 12 years as Administrative Assistant and Project Officer. Melissa has been instrumental in many of the GRPCC projects from conceptualisation, providing support to project leads, regional engagement and implementation, project report and evaluation.
Abstract:
For many people the last days of life occur in busy hospital departments where some staff, volunteers and visitors may not be aware that the patient is dying. In response to this gap the Gippsland Regional Palliative Care Consortium (GRPCC) implemented the Orange Heart Symbol Project. This Orange Heart Project introduces the use of the Palliative Care Australia (PCA) Orange Heart Symbol on the door of patients nearing end-of-life in acute wards. The symbol discreetly signifies to staff, visitors, and auxiliary personnel that the patient is in their final days, ensuring interactions are guided by sensitivity, respect, and compassion.
Aims:
To provide a consistent identifiable symbol to all staff and visitors in the hospital setting to support sensitivity, dignity and privacy and end of life.
Methods:
Permission was granted from PCA to utilise the Orange Heart Symbol to signify end of life care in the acute setting. Coinciding with National Palliative Care Week, May 2025, the Orange Heart Project implementation pack was provided to all Gippsland health services. The pack included implementation guidelines, staff education resources and communication templates. Data collection and evaluation are currently underway to assess impact, uptake, sustainability and applicability.
Results:
Preliminary feedback indicates improved staff communication, heightened awareness of dying patients, and positive feedback from families. The project has gained statewide promotion and support, with planned adoption by health services beyond Gippsland.
Discussion and Implications:
The Orange Heart Symbol Project is a simple, low-cost initiative that enhances the quality of end-of- life experiences for patients, families and staff. By fostering awareness and compassion, it offers health services a scalable model for embedding dignity and sensitivity into everyday care and can be adapted across various geographical settings and service types.
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