Home Instead formally launched our new public education project Dying At Home at the National Palliative Care Conference in Melbourne (2nd – 4th September).

Research shows that 70% of Australians wish to die at home, surrounded by their friends and family. However, without advance planning, dying at home often does not become a reality with only 14% of people actually passing away at home.

In consultation with Australian consumers, carers, service providers and health professionals, Home Instead has developed and published a resource guide, Dying at Home, aimed at  supporting people, families and carers to plan for end of life at home.

The booklet aims to educate and empower people and families to start having conversations about dying, their end of life care preferences, inform them that it is possible to die at home with support of palliative care and other community services and assist them to plan and prepare practically to live the end stage of their life at home.

Written in simple, non-clinical language for clients, families and carers, it explains the choices available and how best to engage in open and frank conversation about such things as:

  • Planning ahead
  • Advance Care Planning, Advance Care Directives, Wills, Enduring Power of Attorney, etc.
  • Cost of Care
  • Equipment at home
  • Pain and symptom management
  • Self-care and more.

This national project will see the Dying at Home booklet promoted and freely distributed via a series of public education forums planned to be held during 2016 around Australia in conjunction with local palliative care organisations, consumers, patients, family carers, general practitioners and other health professionals.

The Dying at Home booklet was developed in consultation with:

Palliative care service partners:

  • Karuna Care (QLD)
  • HammondCare (NSW)
  • Eastern Palliative Care (VIC)
  • Experienced palliative health care professionals and consumer advocates.
  • Consumers:
    • We conducted focus groups with consumers currently receiving in home palliative care services; and bereaved carers who had supported a family member or friend at home during their end of life; and measured the objectivity of these results via a survey of multi-disciplinary health care professionals, consumers and carers. 
    • Over 750 Australians participated in our online survey and provided valuable input into our project development.
    • Click here to review our survey results.

 The aim of the Dying at Home project is to educate and empower people to plan and control their end of life as much as they are able to.

Request a free copy by contacting your Home Instead office or click here to download this resource now.