Skip to main content
MBC Hub
About Metastatic Breast Cancer A new diagnosis and starting treatment Treatment and clinical care Living with MBC Support and connection For Family, friends and caregivers Planning for end of life All Resources Medical Terms Explained Browse All Resources

Planning for end of life

This page gathers simple, trustworthy information so you can plan at your pace. You may wish to read this section now, or just remember that when you’re ready, there are resources available here to help you and your loved ones.

Last updated 15 January 2025

We’re good at planning for life milestones, like:

  • birthdays
  • buying a car or a house
  • getting our first job
  • getting married
  • going on a big holiday.

But most of us do not plan for the end-of-life.

Planning ahead

Advance care planning and directives

Advance care planning means thinking about and documenting your wishes for future medical care. This is so your clinicians and the people you trust can follow them if you’re ever too unwell to speak for yourself. You can start the conversation now and update them over time.

What it involves:

  • Thinking about what quality of life means to you.
  • Deciding what care you would or wouldn’t want (e.g. ICU care, ventilation, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation or CPR) and where you’d like to be cared for (home, hospital, ).
  • Deciding who should make decisions if you can’t.

Advance Care Directive:

An Advance Care Directive is the legal document that records your wishes and/or who can decide for you. It has different names and forms across states and territories. The purpose is to make sure doctors and family know what matters to you. You can change it anytime while you have decision‑making capacity.

How to start:

  • Talk with your doctor or team. Ask them about the choices that might come up and how your values might guide decisions about your care.
  • Download forms for your state or territory from Advanced Care Planning Australia. You can also use their free advice line (1300 208 582).
  • Discuss with family and your decision-maker. Advanced Care Planning Australia provides a useful ‘Conversation starter’.
  • Some people find it comforting to have this sorted while 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 for you and for the people who love you. Laws and forms differ by state/territory, but the core ideas are the same across Australia.

Essential documents:

Will - States who gets your assets, who will be an executor, and (if needed) who will be guardian for children under 18. You can update a will at any time.

Financial Power of Attorney - Appoints someone you trust to make financial and legal decisions if you can’t. Can be ‘enduring’ so it continues if you lose decision-making capacity.

Medical decision-maker (name varies by state/territory) - Appoints someone to make health and medical decisions if you can’t.

There are different names for this in each state and territory:

  • Enduring Guardian (NSW)
  • Medical Treatment Decision‑Maker (VIC)
  • Enduring Power of Guardianship (WA)
  • Enduring Power of Attorney (POA) (personal/health) (QLD)
  • Advance Care Directive/Advance Personal Plan (SA/NT)
  • Medical POA (ACT).

Where to get help:

  • Solicitor (most thorough, but fees apply and can be expensive)
  • Public Trustee (a government option which is often lower cost; some services are free)
  • Community legal centres (some offer free or low-cost help)
  • Financial counsellor at your hospital
Peace of mind

Having these documents in place often reduces 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 and investment accounts
  • Superannuation accounts
  • Insurances (health, life, income, home, car)
  • Digital life including email, cloud drives and social media
  • Funeral preferences
  • Organ and tissue donation (your corneas may be able to be donated, but usually not other organs)

End-of-life care

It’s understandable to worry about what care will look like if treatment stops working or care shifts towards comfort care. People living with MBC differ in how much information they want. Some feel calmer knowing the details, while others prefer to know only the bare essentials. There’s no right way - choose what feels right for you now and know you can change your mind at any time. If and when you’re ready, the sections below on end-of-life pain and symptom management and /place-of-care choices can help.

As covered in ‘Living well with MBC’, is not the same as or end-of-life care. It’s a specialist approach that can run alongside the cancer treatment and supports comfort, function, and emotional/spiritual needs.

Near the end of life, the palliative team also helps you and your family plan care, manage symptoms, and align decisions with what matters most to you.

End-of-life symptom management

Common issues towards end-of-life include:

  • pain
  • fatigue
  • shortness of breath
  • nausea
  • loss of appetite
  • anxiety.

Many of these symptoms can usually be well managed with the right plan.

How they’re managed:

teams are experts in helping to manage pain and many of the symptoms you might experience. Management often includes:

  • pain medications (from simple painkillers to stronger opioids)
  • medications to control nausea and improve appetite
  • other therapies (radiation for bone pain, oxygen for breathing)
  • complementary approaches (massage, relaxation)
  • emotional and spiritual support.

Hospice and place-of-care options

As cancer advances, you will usually have choices about where you receive care.

Options:

  • At home - With support from community/ nurses, GPs, family and, if needed, paid carers
  • / unit - Specialised facility, usually for short-term symptom management
  • Hospital - If you need intensive management or procedures
  • 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 available for you and your carer(s):

What does dying look like?

Many carers and people with MBC worry about what dying will ‘look like’. If this is you and you think it would be helpful to learn more, visit the Palliative Care Australia website. They have a simple, easy to understand webpage and brochure that outlines the dying process.

Voluntary assisted dying (VAD)

Many people tell us that even asking about VAD takes courage. If you’re exploring it, you’re not ‘giving up’. You’re seeking control, comfort and dignity on your own terms. VAD can sit alongside , which continues to focus on comfort, symptom relief and support for you and your family.

What is VAD?

  • VAD is voluntary. If you’re eligible, you may choose medical help to end your life. This is done by taking prescribed medication yourself or, in some places, having it administered by a clinician. You can stop the process at any time.
  • It’s available across all states and the ACT, with strict safeguards (multiple requests and independent assessments). The Northern Territory does not have VAD in force. The government has signalled it intends to introduce a bill in 2026.
  • Eligibility is specific. Most jurisdictions require an advanced, progressive illness expected to cause death within 6-12 months (varies by state). You must have decision‑making capacity and be acting freely.

You’re not alone. Every jurisdiction has a Care Navigator (free service) to explain the steps in plain language. You can check local rules, and connect with trained practitioners, all at your own pace.

Who to talk to (by state/territory)

ACT – Accessing VAD in the ACT

NSW – Voluntary assisted dying in NSW

  • Care Navigator: 1300 802 133

VIC – Voluntary Assisted Dying – health.vic

QLD – Voluntary assisted dying – Queensland Health

  • QVAD‑Support (Care Navigator): 1800 431 371

SA – Voluntary Assisted Dying in South Australia

WA – Voluntary Assisted Dying – WA Health

TAS – VAD – Tasmanian Department of Health

Gentle pointers if you’re considering VAD

  • Start with a conversation. Your or GP can discuss VAD alongside other care options. A Care Navigator can guide next steps. Some states allow clinicians to raise VAD, while others require you to raise it first. Your Care Navigator will be able to clarify this for you.
  • Time matters. Assessments and forms take time, so many people begin the process while they still feel up to it, even if they’re not sure they’ll use the medication.
  • It’s okay to change your mind. You can pause or stop the process at any point. and symptom support will continue either way.

Above all, you remain in charge. VAD is about choice. For some, simply knowing the option exists brings a sense of calm, even if they never use it. Your team is there to help you weigh up what aligns with your values and the kind of days you want to have.

Want an easy explainer of VAD?

Death doulas and end-of-life coaching

Death doulas (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

Caring for someone you love can be both precious and exhausting. You don’t have to hold it all alone. Below are quick ways to get help now:

  • Carer Gateway -1800 422 737: Provides free:
    • information
    • coaching
    • counselling
    • help to find planned and emergency respite care.
  • Cancer Council - 13 11 20: speak with experienced health professionals for practical and emotional support, advice on local services, and financial/legal referral pathways.
  • Griefline: free, confidential grief support via phone and online (for carers, family, and friends before and after a death).
  • Grief Australia - 1800 642 066 (Mon–Fri) has specialist bereavement services/resources and is a national information line.

Last reviewed: 15 January 2025

Need immediate support?

Lifeline: 13 11 14 Cancer Council: 13 11 20 Breast Cancer Network Australia: 1800 500 258