Why end of life caring matters
Caring for someone at the end of their life is a very important role. People who do this help the person they care for and that person’s family and friends. They also help the community by reducing the pressure on our health care system. Carers are vital members of the Australian community and we are so thankful for what they do.
Caring for someone who is dying can be very difficult. Often, people are caring for someone who is very close to them. This makes the end of life very emotional, which can be hard to cope with. Relationships can change significantly, and the caring role can become much more intense at this end of the caring journey.
The Australian Government has funded three CarerHelp projects. The first project ran between 2017 and 2020 established the CarerHelp website after a review of the evidence, scanning for Australian resources and interviews with carers.
The second CarerHelp Diversity project ran between 2020 and 2023. As well as maintaining the CarerHelp website, the primary aim of the funding was to ensure that CarerHelp is accessible and able to reach a diverse population of Australian family carers.
The third CarerHelp Rural Connect project started in 2023 and will be completed in 2026. The aim of this funding is to develop resources for rural carers and offer rural carers a once off online education and support sessions with a health professional.