Recognise end of life

What is end-of-life care?

End of life is when a person is living with, and impaired by, a fatal condition, even if the trajectory is ambiguous or unknown. This period may be years in the case of people with chronic disease, or very brief in the case of people who suffer acute and unexpected illnesses or events, such as a stroke.

More specifically, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care states that “People are approaching ‘end of life’ when they are likely to die within the next 12 months.” [1]

Care at end of life is palliative care. It is important to note that these terms are often used interchangeably.

End of life care encompasses “the broad set of health and community services that care for the population at end of life”, that is, from diagnosis to death. [2]

You can find more information on what end-of-life care and palliative care is on the Understanding Palliative Care page.

What is my role as a primary care professional in recognising end of life?

Through their longstanding relationship with the older person, and often as the first point of contact with the health system, primary care professionals can readily identify changes in health status and recognise when and what kind of end-of-life care is needed.

Early identification of end of life and need for palliative care is shown to greatly improve quality of life.[3] The Recognise End of Life page from the ELDAC Care Model provides more information on why recognising end-of-life needs is important.

We want you to be equipped to:

• Understand what end-of-life care is, and what your role and responsibilities are in recognising end-of-life needs.
• Feel confident in and equipped to identify when an older person requires end of life care and navigate difficult conversations with the older person and their families.
• Support the older person and their families by providing information and resources on end-of-life care, including on prognosis, and local services of relevance.