COURSE OVERVIEW:

Welcome to the Provide Palliative & End-of-Life Support in Aged Care course. This program is designed for workers, supervisors, and leaders in residential aged care, home care, and community support services who are involved in caring for older people as they approach the end of life. Throughout this course, you will explore how a palliative approach can support comfort, dignity, and quality of life, and how aged care workers contribute in practical, emotional, cultural, and relational ways to safe, compassionate end-of-life care within their scope of role.

This course begins by introducing the purpose of palliative and end-of-life care in aged care settings and clarifying where aged care workers fit within a palliative approach. This section explains how palliative and end-of-life care focus on supporting the whole person—physically, emotionally, socially, culturally, and spiritually—rather than attempting to cure underlying disease, and why this orientation is especially important in older age. This section also outlines the role of aged care workers as part of a broader multidisciplinary team and emphasises the central importance of comfort, dignity, and quality of life in every aspect of care, from personal care tasks to the way workers communicate and provide presence at the bedside.

The principles and philosophy of palliative and end-of-life care are then explored in depth so that you can understand the values underpinning day-to-day practice. This section defines palliative care and end-of-life care, and explains how they focus on comfort, quality of life, and dignity rather than cure or life prolongation at all costs. This section also distinguishes between a general palliative approach provided by aged care services and specialist palliative care delivered by dedicated teams, and highlights the importance of goals-of-care, person-centred practice, and shared decision-making with older people, families, and the treating team.

Recognising deterioration and the end-of-life phase is then examined to support timely, appropriate changes in care. This section explains common trajectories of decline in older age, including gradual frailty, organ failure, and progressive conditions such as dementia, and describes clinical and functional signs that may indicate an approaching end-of-life phase. This section also emphasises the importance of early identification and timely conversations about changing goals-of-care, and outlines observation, reporting, and escalation pathways so that concerns are raised promptly with nurses, doctors, or palliative care services.

Advance care planning and goals-of-care discussions are then considered as essential foundations for respectful, person-centred end-of-life support. This section explains the purpose and components of advance care planning, including exploring values, wishes, and priorities with older people and, where appropriate, their families or substitute decision-makers. This section also describes advance care directives, resuscitation plans, and treatment limitations, and highlights the need for ongoing review of goals-of-care as conditions change, ensuring that documentation, discussions, and day-to-day practice remain aligned.

Communication at end of life is then addressed, recognising that language, tone, and presence strongly shape the experience of older people and families. This section explores how to engage in sensitive and honest conversations about dying and death within your role, and how to respond to fear, anger, denial, hope, and complex emotions in ways that are compassionate and respectful. This section also emphasises the use of clear, plain, and compassionate language, the importance of checking understanding, and strategies for managing family conflict and differing views while maintaining trust and supporting the agreed plan of care.

Symptom and pain assessment and management within the scope of the aged care worker’s role is then explored to support comfort-based care. This section explains how to recognise and report pain, including in older people with cognitive impairment who may not be able to describe symptoms clearly, and outlines key symptoms such as breathlessness, agitation, nausea, and fatigue that workers are likely to observe. This section also introduces different types of pain in older people (acute, chronic, incident, and “total pain”), pain and symptom assessment tools used by clinicians, and non-pharmacological comfort measures that workers can provide, while emphasising the need to escalate unrelieved or changing symptoms promptly to nursing and medical staff.

Comfort care and personal care at end of life are then examined as core contributors to dignity and quality of life. This section explains how to maintain dignity, privacy, and respect during personal care, and describes key aspects of mouth care, skin care, continence care, and pressure injury prevention that are especially important when mobility and intake are reduced. This section also explores how to manage reduced food and fluid intake with a comfort focus, avoiding unnecessary distress or pressure, and how to create a calm, soothing environment through attention to noise, lighting, positioning, and respectful presence.

Emotional, psychological, and spiritual support is then explored to recognise the whole-person nature of end-of-life care. This section explains how workers can provide presence, reassurance, and emotional safety through listening, gentle conversation, and quiet companionship that responds to the person’s cues. This section also considers how to support life review, meaning, and legacy if the person wishes, how to recognise signs of spiritual or existential distress, and when to involve spiritual care providers, chaplains, counsellors, or other supports, while always respecting diverse beliefs about death, afterlife, and rituals.

Cultural and individual diversity in end-of-life care is then examined to ensure care is respectful and tailored. This section explains how cultural, religious, and personal views shape expectations around dying and death, including who is involved, preferred rituals, and practices before, during, and after death. This section also addresses gender, modesty, and privacy considerations, especially around personal and intimate care, and explains how to work appropriately with interpreters, faith leaders, cultural advisors, and community representatives to provide culturally safe end-of-life support.

Supporting families, carers, and significant others is then considered as a vital part of palliative and end-of-life practice. This section explains how families may experience anticipatory grief, guilt, stress, or conflict, and how workers can involve them in care in ways that respect the older person’s wishes and documented plans. This section also explores how to explain what to expect as death approaches in clear, compassionate terms, how to respond to questions and emotions, and how to provide both emotional and practical support immediately after death, including information about next steps within the service’s role.

Palliative care in the context of dementia or cognitive impairment is then explored, acknowledging the particular complexities it presents. This section explains how dementia affects the way older people express pain, discomfort, and distress, and outlines strategies for recognising pain and distress in non-verbal or minimally verbal individuals using behavioural cues and changes from baseline. This section also considers the use of familiar routines, validation, and reassurance to reduce anxiety, and discusses how to support families to understand what palliative care looks like in advanced dementia and why certain changes in function and communication occur.

Ethical and legal considerations in end-of-life support are then examined so that workers act safely within their role while supporting rights-based care. This section explains ethical principles such as autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and dignity of risk, and discusses how these principles apply in decisions about treatment, comfort, and day-to-day care. This section also outlines the worker’s role in relation to life-prolonging treatment decisions, consent, capacity, substitute decision-makers, and documented wishes, and clarifies the boundaries between palliative care and euthanasia or assisted dying in line with relevant legislation and organisational policy.

Medication-related support within scope of role is then addressed, recognising that medicines are a key component of symptom management at end of life. This section provides basic awareness of common palliative medications and their purposes, and explains how workers support medication administration strictly in line with policy, procedures, and delegation. This section also highlights the importance of monitoring and reporting effects and side effects observed during care, and stresses adherence to scope of practice and guidelines to maintain safety, legal compliance, and clear professional boundaries.

The final days, death, and immediate after-death care are then explored to support calm, respectful practice at this critical time. This section explains physical changes that may occur in the last days and hours of life, and how to explain these processes to families in a compassionate, understandable way so they are less frightened or surprised. This section also outlines how to adjust care priorities towards comfort and presence, when to call the nurse or doctor, how to recognise and confirm death within role boundaries, and how to provide respectful care of the body after death, including careful handling of belongings and the person’s space in line with cultural and organisational requirements.

By the end of this course, you will be able to describe the purpose, principles, and philosophy of palliative and end-of-life care in aged care settings, recognise deterioration and the end-of-life phase, and contribute to advance care planning and goals-of-care discussions within your role. You will understand how to communicate sensitively, support comfort-focused care, recognise and report symptoms, and provide emotional, cultural, and spiritual support to older people and their families. Most importantly, you will be better equipped to provide palliative and end-of-life support that honours comfort, dignity, and quality of life while working safely within your scope of practice and as part of a coordinated care team.

Each section is complemented with examples to illustrate the concepts and techniques discussed.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand the following topics:

1. Introduction to Palliative and End-of-Life Support

• Purpose of palliative and end-of-life care in aged care settings
• Role of aged care workers within a palliative approach
• Importance of comfort, dignity, and quality of life

2. Principles and Philosophy of Palliative and End-of-Life Care

• Definitions of palliative care and end-of-life care
• Focus on comfort, quality of life, and dignity rather than cure
• Palliative approach versus specialist palliative care
• Goals-of-care, person-centred practice, and shared decision-making

3. Recognising Deterioration and the End-of-Life Phase

• Common trajectories of decline in older age
• Clinical and functional signs of approaching end of life
• Early identification and timely conversations
• Observation, reporting, and escalation pathways

4. Advance Care Planning and Goals-of-Care Discussions

• Purpose and components of advance care planning
• Understanding values, wishes, and priorities
• Advance care directives, resuscitation plans, and treatment limitations
• Ongoing review of goals-of-care as conditions change

5. Communication at End of Life

• Sensitive and honest conversations about dying and death
• Responding to fear, anger, denial, hope, and complex emotions
• Using clear, compassionate language and checking understanding
• Managing family conflict and differing views

6. Symptom and Pain Assessment and Management (Within Scope of Role)

• Recognising and reporting pain, including in cognitive impairment
• Observing breathlessness, agitation, nausea, fatigue, and other symptoms
• Types of pain in older people (acute, chronic, incident, total pain)
• Pain and symptom assessment tools
• Non-pharmacological comfort measures
• Escalating unrelieved or changing symptoms

7. Comfort Care and Personal Care at End of Life

• Maintaining dignity, privacy, and respect during personal care
• Mouth care, skin care, continence care, and pressure injury prevention
• Managing reduced intake of food and fluids with a comfort focus
• Creating a calm, soothing environment

8. Emotional, Psychological, and Spiritual Support

• Providing presence, reassurance, and emotional safety
• Supporting life review, meaning, and legacy if desired
• Recognising spiritual or existential distress
• Respecting diverse beliefs about death and afterlife

9. Cultural and Individual Diversity in End-of-Life Care

• Cultural, religious, and personal views of dying and death
• Rituals and practices before, during, and after death
• Gender, modesty, and privacy considerations
• Working with interpreters, faith, or community representatives

10. Supporting Families, Carers, and Significant Others

• Family experiences of anticipatory grief, guilt, and stress
• Involving families in care as the person wishes
• Explaining what to expect as death approaches
• Providing emotional and practical support after death

11. Palliative Care and Dementia or Cognitive Impairment

• Impact of dementia on communication and symptom expression
• Recognising pain and distress in non-verbal individuals
• Using familiar routines, validation, and reassurance
• Supporting families to understand palliative care in advanced dementia

12. Ethical and Legal Considerations in End-of-Life Support

• Ethical principles: autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, dignity of risk
• Worker role in life-prolonging treatment decisions
• Consent, capacity, substitute decision-makers, and documented wishes
• Boundaries between palliative care and euthanasia/assisted dying

13. Medication-Related Support (Within Scope of Role)

• Basic awareness of common palliative medications
• Supporting medication administration in line with policy
• Monitoring and reporting effects and side effects
• Strict adherence to scope of practice and guidelines

14. The Final Days, Death, and Immediate After-Death Care

• Physical changes in the last days and hours of life
• Explaining dying processes to families compassionately
• Adjusting care priorities to comfort and presence
• Knowing when to call the nurse or doctor
• Recognising and confirming death within role boundaries
• Care of the body after death
• Respectful handling of belongings and the person’s space

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.