How to help someone you love the second you die

Key points:

• 87 percent of Australians believe that some ‘end-of-life’ planning is important, according to research conducted by Community Care Northern Beaches [CCNB]

• Approximately one-in-three people have actually made plans, despite acknowledging the importance

• The community-led public health approach to end-of-life care, known as Compassionate Communities, led to:

• • 15 percent reduction in hospital admissions

• • 28 percent reduction in time spent in hospital occupancy

• • 108 percent uptick in the use of community-based services, which are often cheaper than hospital-based services

• • Net saving of $561,256 dollars to the healthcare system over a six-month period

Experts and politicians are expected to deliver a keynote presentation at the New South Wales Parliament House on Dying to Know Day — Tuesday, August 8, 2023. The presentation will cover a community-led approach to end-of-life care and planning, along with addressing the potential savings and increased access it could provide to the healthcare sector.

New research found that innovative models of death or end-of-life care — where community works in partnership with healthcare services — enable better outcomes as well as cost savings to the health system.

The number of people dying in Australia is estimated to double over the next 15 years and the ‘Compassionate Communities’ network may serve as a timely opportunity for researchers to measure the impact of community-led end-of-life initiatives.

Professor Aoun, research lead and Perron Institute Research Chair in Palliative Care at The University of Western Australia; 2023 WA Australian of the Year, said that we often forget how community played a role in the process of dying, which is now thought of as a ‘medical event.’

“Death is over medicalised, institutionalised and relegated to healthcare professionals. This view has ‘deskilled’ the community as partners in end-of-life care. Improving death literacy through education is a critical prerequisite to enabling the community in a way that empowers meaningful change in how Australians approach end-of-life care and planning,” Professor Aoun said.

Nearly two-thirds of Australians felt that there were hurdles in actually taking action to plan their end-of-life arrangements, according to the new research. Community Care Northern Beaches [CCNB] Chief Executive Officer [CEO] Kaz Dawson said end-of-life planning is impractical to fall solely on the healthcare system, without community support.

“I think that is exactly, often, where people do find it easier to engage — the idea that ‘I don’t want to be a burden for my loved ones, who will be left behind’ — that’s often where we find people who are reluctant to engage can find their entry point,” Ms Dawson told Talking Aged Care journalist David McManus Jr.

“My father passed away a couple of years ago and he was incredibly well prepared. He had lots of documentation, he had even considered his digital footprint — we knew where his passwords were stored and all sorts of things. The practical side of dealing with his death was just so much more efficient and easier.”

“People who wanted to lean in and help us, in those early days — we could make it easy to offload some of those tasks to people,” Kaz continued.

“It meant that, as a family, we could spend that time coming together, grieving, supporting each other emotionally and I think that’s really important […] Okay, even if you don’t mind, let’s make it practical for the people that are left behind and who will do your legacy a service.”

The CEO explained that despite how sad a death can be to families, communities and loved ones, there are ‘good deaths,’ which can be established through an open dialogue and interpersonal support.

“Dying to Know Day asks Australians of all ages and stages of life to ‘get dead set’ around the reality of death and dying, because death is going to happen to us all. By making important choices as individuals, we can create death literate communities that offer quality, person-centred support and care we all need at the end-of-life.”

To register your Dying to Know event, find an event or access support for your end-of-life planning journey, visit www.dyingtoknowday.com.