HELP care for the carers: Making it easier to ask for, offer and accept support
An article written by Dr Andrea Grindrod and Niki Read
Promoting and recommending that carers draw upon their own social and practical support networks while caring for someone at the end of life is no longer a ‘nice’ thing to do – it is imperative. With increasing and concerning evidence of poor physical, social and mental health outcomes for primary carers, during and after their caring journey, it’s incumbent upon palliative and health practitioners, and other professionals alike, to adequately prepare carers about these known risks, and discuss how they can mitigate them, just as we would for any other health issue, such as diet management for diabetes. When we know about these risks for carers, it’s our duty, as health professionals, to inform them. So how, as a sector, and as individual practitioners, can we do this?
The La Trobe Public Health Palliative Care Unit, in partnership with the palliative care sector, has been working for years on the development of a ‘public health palliative care service delivery model’ and a targeted ‘public health palliative care clinical intervention’ that can be implemented by anyone, in any setting, to tangibly connect formal service delivery with informal networks of care. They are now known respectively as the ‘Palliative Care Social Prescribing Service Model’ and the ‘Network-Centered Care Approach’, both of which are included in the recently Revised National Palliative Care Standards for Specialist Palliative Care Providers – 5.1 Edition 2024. [1] This policy inclusion, alongside a partnership with Palliative Care Australia, aims to support sector uptake and implementation by integrating the model as a routine part of palliative care treatment and care planning.
At practitioner and direct care level, the ‘HELP Brief Intervention’ mobilises the social connections of patients and carers to provide the support needed, while at the same time enabling greater choice and improved outcomes for dying people. Our message should reassure that comprehensive and expert clinical care will be provided, while at the same time being clear that we cannot provide the kind of support in the remit of families, friends, colleagues, neighbours and other social connections – that support which occurs in everyday community-based life, such as meals, friendship, transport, gardening, cleaning and joy – and we, as sector, can help get them started.
This can be as simple as saying ‘Now that we’ve talked about the services we provide, let’s spend time talking about your social supports as a part of your care plan. Your support network, whether it’s 2-3 people or 15, will help you get through this time. We recommend this for everyone because it’s as important to your wellbeing as your healthcare.’
This asset and strength-based approach to prescribing social support as a part of routine treatment in palliative care cultivates collaborative social environments to support carers, and for people to die in, according to their preferences and their wishes at the end of life.
This short video shows how the Healthy End of Life Planning App enhances social connections and practical support for carers.
Healthy End of Life Planning is free and available to everyone
- Simply download the Healthy End of Life Planning App in any app store, set up an account, add a few friends and get started.
- Visit the website for access to free resources and webinars for community members and service providers.
Contact the team for more information and resources to implement Healthy End of Life Planning in your service.
Authors
Dr Andrea Grindrod
Director, La Trobe University Public Health Palliative Care Unit
Healthy End of Life Program (HELP)
Niki Read
Healthy End of Life Program (HELP), Impact and Engagement Coordinator
La Trobe University Public Health Palliative Care Unit
Reference
1. Palliative Care Australia. National palliative care standards for specialist palliative care providers: 5.1 edition 2024. Canberra: PCA; 2024.