ANDREW MASTERSON Communications and Media Adviser, North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network
Lately
Promoting end-of-life conversations with new website resource
Whether it comes as a surprise, or as the
questions, let alone answer them, can sometimes
confirmation of a fearfully held suspicion, being
be frustratingly difficult to locate.
told that you are on the road to death is never going to be a pleasant experience. Receiving an end-of-life diagnosis prompts a
In response to this issue — widely reported in consultations with community and the medical sector — North Western Melbourne Primary Health
massive surge of questions, none of which have
Network (NWMPHN) has researched, designed
easy answers, and all of which arrive at once.
and compiled a new website that functions as
‘The diagnosis engenders uncertainty,’ says Jo Slee, Quality Improvement Consultant at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
a ‘one stop shop’ for information and resources about end-of-life needs. Called Lately, it is now live.
‘People can experience emotions such as
Lately starts with the presumption, borne
shock, sadness, fear, anger, regret, loneliness
out by patient and family testimony, that an
and depression. They wonder how long they
end-of-life diagnosis prompts new, important
have left, how they will cope, how their family
questions and conversations for everyone involved.
will cope — and the concerns cascade from there.’
None of these are easy, so the website contains
One of the matters that has significantly
scores of curated items designed to encourage
exacerbated the end-of-life experience for patients,
reflection and discussion while there is still time
family and carers is the fact that the information
for calm responses.
suddenly needed to make crucial decisions is
‘Most people are uncomfortable talking
scattered across the internet on literally hundreds
about death, and sometimes delay necessary
of sites. Facts needed just to formulate key
conversations until it is too late,’ says NWMPHN CEO Christopher Carter.
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The Health Advocate • FEBRUARY 2022
