Violet launches end-of-life care planning tool
Most Australians agree that planning for end-of-life care is important but few have done so, and care platform Violet is calling for its new tool to be embedded into the over 75s health check.
Violet has launched Care Compass, an intuitive, shareable and values-first planning tool to help families, carers and clinicians have conversations about end-of-life care.
Only one in three Australians have taken steps to plan for future health care decisions, the national Advance Care Planning Prevalence in Australia study shows.
This widespread lack of preparation comes despite 82 per cent of Australians agreeing advance care planning can help people make the right decisions and 79 per cent agreeing it can help reduce confusion, stress and anxiety.
The survey also showed that 19 per cent of Australians haven’t engaged in advance care planning due to time constraints, while 16 per cent have avoided it due to the process requiring the input of multiple people.
Existing processes and tools for end-of-life care planning can be complex, intimidating and end up underused, said Violet chair Kate Carnell.
But the non-binding nature of the Care Compass tool takes away some of the intimidation felt and takes just 15 minutes.
It can also produce the directive in plain English to be shared with families and care teams, and can be added to digital wallets, or a physical card can be provided. An option to have access via a QR code is also available.
Starting with a conversation
The not-for-profit group is calling for the government to embed the Care Compass into the existing 75-year health check, with Violet chief executive officer Melissa Reader pointing to the success of the bowel cancer screening test for early intervention and improved survival rates.
“No one should have to guess what matters most in the moments that matter,” said Ms Reader.
“Making Care Compass part of the 75-year health check would give every Australian the same nudge we already use for bowel cancer screening, a proven, low-cost intervention that saves money, saves stress, and saves dignity.”
The health check already exists, but a usable tool is missing from the process, Ms Reader argued.
Although advance care planning has been around for decades and has received millions of dollars in federal funding, uptake is still low, she added.
“Adding this simple step takes no new infrastructure, no significant reform, just common sense. It saves families stress and saves the system money,” Ms Reader said.
“Obviously everyone over 75 needs a plan for the future stages of life – this starts with a conversation at the kitchen table with family members and their preferences simply must be documented.”
Comment on the story below. Follow Australian Ageing Agenda on LinkedIn and Facebook, sign up to our twice-weekly newsletter and subscribe to AAA magazine for the complete aged care picture.
