Response to the ACSQHC consultation about the End-of-Life Care National Consensus Statement

The Australian Psychological Society (APS) welcomes the ACSQHC revision of the National Consensus Statement: Essential elements for safe and high-quality end-of-life care (the Statement), which aims to incorporate contemporary evidence and practices that support safe and high-quality end-of-life care across institutional, hospice and home settings where end-of-life healthcare is provided.

The APS commended the person-centred Guiding Principles within the Statement and the inclusion of a dedicated section about bereavement and the caring environment; while highlighting opportunities to strengthen the integration of psychosocial support practices throughout the Statement as essential for the delivery of safe and high-quality end-of-life care. APS feedback included:

• Better reflecting throughout the Statement the range of roles and types of psychosocial support provided by allied health workers such as psychologists, social workers and counsellors; death and dying professionals such as death doulas; and Aboriginal liaison officers and others who support diverse individuals and families with end-of-life care.
• More integration of grief and bereavement care for family, carers and workers throughout the Statement to highlight this as essential for safe and high-quality end-of-life care.
• As highlighted in the Statement, actioning organisational readiness, capacity building and support for individuals and teams involved in end-of-life care will be critical to achieving improvements in the psychosocial support necessary for the provision of safe and high-quality end-of-life care.

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