Last Days of Life
To improve and support the care of the dying patient, the Clinical Excellence Commission, in collaboration with clinicians and consumer advisors, developed a Last Days of Life toolkit. The tools have been specifically developed for use by generalist clinicians and are not intended to replace either local Specialist Palliative Care guidelines or advice given by Specialist Palliative Care clinicians.
The aim is to ensure all dying patients are recognised early, receive optimal symptom control, have social, spiritual and cultural needs addressed, both patient and families/carers are involved in decision-making, and bereavement support occurs.
All resources are available below – if you'd like to undertake an improvement project using the Last Days of Life tools, visit the CEC QI Toolkits page for further information.
Last Days of Life resources
- Initiating Last Days of Life Management Plan (Adult)
- Order via Stream Solutions 1300 786 075
Stock Code: NH700140
- Order via Stream Solutions 1300 786 075
- Comfort Observation and Symptom Assessment (COSA) Chart (Adult)
- Order via Stream Solutions 1300 786 075
Stock Code: NH700138
- Order via Stream Solutions 1300 786 075
- Care after Death in Hospital (Adult)
- Order via Stream Solutions 1300 786 075
Stock Code: NH700139
- Order via Stream Solutions 1300 786 075
- Implementation Guide - Recognising the dying patient, management planning and care after death
- General introduction to the toolkit
- Introduction to using recognition and management planning tools
- Accelerated transfer to die at home plan (Adult)
- Order via Stream Solutions 1300 786 075
Stock Code: NH700141
- Order via Stream Solutions 1300 786 075
- Paramedic transfer letter
- Order via Stream Solutions 1300 786 075
Stock Code: NH700143
- Order via Stream Solutions 1300 786 075
- Nursing transfer letter
- Order via Stream Solutions 1300 786 075
Stock Code: NH700142
- Order via Stream Solutions 1300 786 075
- Implementation Guide - Accelerated Discharge to Die at Home
- Implementation Guide - Accelerated Discharge to Die at Home
- Asking questions can help - For people when approaching the Last Days of Life
- Asking questions can help - For friends or carers of people approaching the Last Days of Life
- Family/Carer information regarding care in the Last Days of Life
- What to consider when your family member or friend has expressed a wish to go home from Hospital to die at home
- Family/Carer information regarding medications in the Last Days of Life
- When a person dies in Hospital - What to expect and what to do next
- When someone dies at home what should you do?
- Understanding grief - Some suggestions that may help
- Summary report from pilot program - March 2017
- Information for the multidisciplinary team
- Prepared Model - A guide for clinicians for conversations about the last days of life
- LDOL Toolkit - Generic introduction to the toolkit
- LDOL Toolkit - Implementing the toolkit
- Implementation Guide - Recognising the dying patient, management planning and care after death
- Introduction to using recognition and management planning and care after death tools
- Lesson Plan
- Introduction to implementing the accelerated transfer to die at home tools
- Implementation Guide - Prescribing last days of life medications
- Introduction to implementing and using the anticipatory guide and flowcharts