We are good at planning for life milestones, like a birthday, buying a car or a house, getting our first job, getting married or going on a big holiday. But most of us do not plan for the end of our life.
This page provides information about planning for end of life. You may wish to read this section now, or just remember that when you are ready, there are resources available here to help you and your loved ones.
Planning ahead
Advance care planning and directives
Advance care planning means thinking about and documenting your wishes for future medical care.
What it involves:
- Thinking about what quality of life means to you
- What medical treatments you would or wouldn’t want
- Who should make decisions if you can’t
- Where you’d like to be cared for
Advance Care Directive:
- Legal document stating your wishes
- Different names in different states
- Ensures doctors and family know your wishes
- You can change it anytime (as long as your mind is clear)
How to start:
- Talk to your doctor or
palliative care team - Download forms for your state
- Discuss with family
- Some people find it comforting to have this sorted; others aren’t ready - both are okay
Wills, power of attorney, and affairs
Getting legal and financial affairs in order can provide peace of mind.
Essential documents:
- Will - States who gets your assets, names guardians for children under 18, names executor to manage your estate. Can be updated anytime.
- Power of Attorney - Appoints someone to make financial decisions if you can’t. Can be “enduring” (continues if you lose capacity).
- Medical Power of Attorney - Appoints someone to make medical decisions if you can’t.
Where to get help:
- Solicitor (can be expensive but thorough)
- Public Trustee (lower cost option)
- Some community legal centers offer free help
- Financial counselor at your hospital
Having these documents in place can actually reduce anxiety. You’ve taken control of what you can control.
What else you might do:
In addition to these formal processes, there are other things you might have a plan for to help your family, partner and others:
- Bank accounts
- Insurances
- Other accounts, including social media
- Funeral plans
- Organ donation (your corneas may be able to be donated, but usually not other organs)
Talking to loved ones about prognosis
Deciding whether and how to talk about
Things to consider:
- What do you want to know?
- What do your loved ones want to know?
- Children need age-appropriate honesty
- You can tell different people different amounts
Tips for difficult conversations:
- Choose a quiet time and place
- Be honest but don’t feel you need to share everything
- Let people react in their own way
- It’s okay to cry together
- Return to the conversation over time
Talking to your oncologist about prognosis
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End-of-life care
Understanding palliative care (early and late stages)
What
- Specialist care focused on quality of life
- Helps manage symptoms like pain, nausea, fatigue
- Provides emotional and spiritual support
- Can work alongside cancer treatment
- Can be involved early in your diagnosis
When to ask for
- Anytime you have symptoms affecting quality of life
- When treatment is causing difficult side effects
- For help with advance care planning
- You don’t have to be at end-of-life to benefit from
palliative care
Pain and symptom management
Even after there are no more treatment options, pain and other symptoms can be well managed.
As the cancer advances, you may experience symptoms more often such as:
- Pain
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Anxiety
How they’re managed:
- Medications (from simple painkillers to stronger opioids)
- Other therapies (radiation for bone pain, oxygen for breathing)
- Complementary approaches (massage, relaxation)
- Emotional and spiritual support
Hospice and home care options
As cancer advances, you have choices about where you receive care:
Options:
- At home - With support from
palliative care nurses, GPs, family and other types of carers (e.g. paid nurses) Hospice /palliative care unit - Specialized facility, usually for short-term symptom management- Hospital - If you need intensive management
- Aged care facility - If you’re already living there or need ongoing care
Your preferences may change over time, and that’s okay.
If you choose care at home, there are different types of support you can get:
- Community nursing
Palliative care at home services- Equipment (hospital bed, oxygen, etc.)
- Meals on Wheels
- Help with personal care
To find out more about these options visit xxxxx
Voluntary assisted dying
Many states and territories in Australia have voluntary assisted dying.
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Death doulas and end-of-life coaching
Death doulas (also called end-of-life doulas) provide non-medical support:
What they offer:
- Emotional and spiritual support
- Help planning for end of life
- Practical support for families
- Companionship
- Legacy projects
They work alongside medical teams and are usually not covered by Medicare (some offer free or sliding scale services).
Support for family and caregivers
Support available:
- Carer counseling through cancer services
- Carer support groups
- Carer payment and allowance (Centrelink)
- Respite care to give carers a break
- Bereavement support after death