Engage
How do you have a conversation about death or dying? How do you support people who are grieving? Have you made your own wishes known?
Engage asks you to go deeper into the questions that inform end of life decisions.
Conversations about death
Grief
Dying to Talk
Discussion starter
What things are important to you at the end-of-life? The Dying to Talk Discussion Starter will guide you through that discussion. “It will help you prepare, so that you know what you want to say and it will provide you with tips about how to start talking.”
Raising Children
Death: how to talk about it with children
Dying Matters
Talking about death and dying
St. Mary's University
The art of dying well
Palliative Care Australia
Understanding grief
Information on how we grieve and how you can help those who are grieving.
Grieflink
Strategies for coping with grief
Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement
Fact sheets
Palliative Care
Practical Support
Palliative Care Australia
What is palliative care?
Palliative care is about more than nursing a dying person. Palliative care involves providing comfort and helping people live the best that they can in the time they have left. It can involve care at home, in the hospital, in hospice and in an aged care setting. This site provides helpful information about palliative care and free downloadable brochures.
Palliative Care Australia
Asking questions
A question list to “help you get the information you want about palliative care and your illness.”
Palliative Care Australia
Dispelling myths about palliative care
Dying Matters
Being with someone when they die
Cancer Council
Providing emotional support
A list of ideas on how to support someone who is dying. Some ideas include: sitting with the person and holding her hand, applying lip balm, reading a book, and gently massaging the hands and feet with lotion.
ABC Life
Do I bring food or flowers?
Advice on what to do and what to say.
Advance Care Planning
Advance care planning gives you the opportunity to plan for what you want and do not want if you become unable to communicate your wishes for end-of-life-care.
Dying to Talk
Discussion starter online card game
This is an online tool that prompts you to choose what is very important, somewhat important, or not important at the end of your life. It raises ideas that you may not have considered. You can then save it as a pdf and print it.
Advance Care Planning NSW
Step 1
Visit this page to learn about Advance Care Planning for NSW.
Advance Care Planning NSW
Step 2
Think about who your substitute decision maker or enduring guardian would be if you were not able to speak for yourself. To appoint someone, you should fill out an Appointment of Enduring Guardianship form.
Advance Care Planning NSW
Step 3
Fill out an Advance Care Directive. Prior to doing this you should read this booklet which explains things through an FAQ. An Advance Care Directive form is available in the booklet.
Advance Care Planning NSW
Step 4
Let people know that you have an Advance Care Directive and where you are storing it. Remember to review it regularly, especially if your health changes.
South Australia
Advance Care Directive information for South Australia
Western Australia
Advance Care Directive information for Western Australia
Northern Territory
Advance Care Directive information for the Northern Territory
Queensland
Advance Care Directive information for Queensland
Tasmania
Advance Care Directive information for Tasmania
Victoria
Advance Care Directive information for Victoria
ACT
Advance Care Directive information for the ACT
Training
Baptist Care NSW & ACT Spiritual Care Train the Trainer
The Spiritual Care Series will equip your church to provide quality voluntary pastoral and spiritual care to older and vulnerable Australians. The Series will not only assist in strengthening your pastoral care teams within your church but provide your church with opportunities to partner with BaptistCare in the Pastoral Care Volunteers Program (PCV). The PCV Program has 14 teams around NSW/ACT visiting people in their homes and care facilities. To register contact Sue Wilson at swilson@baptistcare.org.au or 0419 201 094.
Want to hear more?
There is a lot to think about when it comes to end-of-life care and assisted dying. We don’t have all the answers but we have designed this site as a space to provide resources and generate conversation. If you have questions about different aspects of what is a good death, get in touch and we can talk more.