Finding end-of-life support and information

Listed below are a range of services that can help people throughout the process of dying and provide support to their family and friends.

Learn more about:

• Carer services 
• Counselling and mentoring 
• Funerals 
• Future planning 
• Grief 
• Legal and financial information 
• Palliative care 
• Support and information 

Carer services

• Carer Gateway − Practical information and resources for carers.
• Carers Australia − National body working with state and territory Carers Associations to provide information and counselling for carers.
• Young Carers − Support and information for young people under 25 who are caring for someone who is ill.

Counselling and mentoring services

• Australian Psychological Society − Use the “Find a Psychologist” search to look for a practitioner in your area.
• Better Access Initiative − Information about the Medicare-subsidised referral to counselling through your GP.
• Beyond Blue − 24-hour telephone counselling service; online and email counselling available seven days a week.
• Kids Helpline − Telephone and online counselling service and crisis support for young people aged 5-25.
• Lifeline − 24-hour telephone crisis support and suicide prevention service.
• Suicide Call Back Service − 24-hour telephone and online counselling for people affected by suicide.

Funerals

• Australian Funeral Directors Association − Listing of funeral directors and information about planning a funeral.
• Funeral Celebrants Association Australia − Directory for finding a funeral celebrant in your local area.
• Funeral Directors Australia − Listing of independent funeral directors and information about planning a funeral.

Future planning

• Advance Care Planning − Information about planning for your future health care, including advance care directives. 
• Dying to Talk − Palliative Care Australia website encouraging Australians to talk about dying; includes discussion starters.
• The GroundSwell Project − Community organisation using creativity to promote resilience and wellbeing throughout all phases of life.

Grief

• Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement − Online information for people experiencing grief.
• GriefLine − Online information for the bereaved and grieving, their carers, friends and colleagues.
• GriefLink − Telephone counselling service for all Australians who have experienced a loss.

Legal and financial information

• Cancer Council Legal and Financial Referral Service − Referral service for people affected by cancer needing professional advice about legal or financial issues; free for eligible clients.
• Centrelink − Offers financial support for people with a long-term illness and for primary carers.
• End of Life Law in Australia − Information from the Australian Centre for Health Law Research on the law relating to advance directives, stopping treatment, palliative care and euthanasia.
• Public Trustees Australia − Gateway to all public and state trustees in Australia, who can help you prepare a will and manage your finances.
• The social worker on the palliative care team − May be able to help you access legal or financial support.

Palliative care

• CareSearch − Australian Government website that provides palliative care information and links to services for people affected by cancer, as well as resources for health professionals.
• Palliative Care Australia − Information and resources; can link you to your local palliative care office.

Support and information

• Cancer Council Online Community − An online discussion forum where people can connect with each other at any time, ask or answer questions, or write a blog of their experiences.
• Telephone support groups through Cancer Council − Includes groups for people with advanced cancer, for carers, and for the bereaved.
• The Thing About Cancer podcast series − Information and insights for anyone affected by cancer. Separate series about advanced cancer.