At the EAPC World Congress 2025 in Helsinki, Prof. Barbara Gomes, Prof. Caroline Nicholson and Chelsea Vinckier presented three projects on the palliative care challenges and needs in communities of an aging population. Through real-world data and inspiring case studies, participants gained insight into global mortality trends, innovative care models, and practical strategies for scaling solutions across borders.

Prof. Barbara Gomes showed data from 32 countries, revealing where older people are dying and why that matters for planning future care. Prof. Caroline Nicholson highlighted the needs of older people in the community and how community services can be equipped to accommodate them (PALLUP study). In the last talk, Chelsea Vinckier presented the first baseline results of the EU Navigate study, which showed the needs of older people in the community and how (volunteer) navigators can be part of the solution to accommodate those needs. During the session, participants shared their own experiences, barriers, and ideas for transforming health and social care systems. From local solutions to international collaborations, this session was a call to action and a reminder that aging well with serious illness requires care that is close to home, connected, and person-centred.