Anna Markey | Lead Palliative Care Vet
Rest Your Paws

Dr Anna Markey BVetBiol/BVetSc GCertSAECC CHPV

Dr. Anna graduated from Charles Sturt University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Veterinary Biology and Bachelor of Veterinary Science, later earning a Post Graduate Certificate in Emergency and Critical Care with First Class Honours from the University of Melbourne. After beginning her career in small animal general practice, she completed a rotating internship before founding Australia's first palliative care department in a busy specialist hospital.
Anna's passion for end-of-life care stems from her love for old, frail pets — animals she describes as having "a story that demands more attention." She leads Rest Your Paws' palliative care team and is one of only a small number of veterinarians in Australia to hold certification in hospice and palliative care (CHPV) and is also CAETA certified in best practice euthanasia.
Outside work, Anna shares her home with four pets and enjoys weightlifting, reformer pilates, dining out, and sewing.

Appearances:

Day 2 @ 15:00

Good Days and Bad Days Aren't Enough: What QoL Assessment Actually Requires

"He still has good days" — it's one of the most common things we hear in end-of-life consultations, and one of the hardest to work with. Subjective quality of life assessment leaves both clinicians and families without a shared language, often prolonging suffering and deepening caregiver distress. This session introduces structured QoL assessment as a genuine clinical skill: what validated tools exist, how to use them, and crucially, how to hold a productive conversation when the numbers say one thing and the client says another. Grounded in the HHHHHMM scale and the latest IAAHPC guidelines, this talk offers practical frameworks you can use in your next consult.

Learning outcomes:

Explain the limitations of subjective QoL assessment and the clinical case for structured tools
Use the HHHHHMM scale to conduct a structured quality of life assessment with a client
Navigate the clinical and communication challenges that arise when QoL scores conflict with client readiness

Anna Markey, Lead Palliative Care Vet, Rest Your Paws

last published: 30/Apr/26 21:45 GMT

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