The Dying Patient Resources

Resources for nurses supporting people approaching death

In this video Associate Professor Amanda Walker describes the importance of recognising the signs of deterioration and dying and discussing these with patients and families
The End-of-life Essentials module Imminent Death – How to Respond gives practical guidance to help you feel confident in providing care to people who are actively dying and conducting sensitive conversations
For practical guidance, read the Scottish Palliative Care Guidelines - Care in the Last Days of Life
The Marie Curie (UK) website has practice guidance on care in the last days and hours of life
palliAGED Modules for Aged Care can be a useful introduction to

Use the guidance in the palliAGEDnurse app
This articles from Canadian Virtual Hospice discusses Final weeks and days: What to expect (for patients, families, and carers)
Share with families and carers the CarerHelp resources including

The Marie Curie (UK) website has information on What to expect in the last weeks and days (for patients, families and carers)
The WA Cancer and Palliative Care Network has published an information booklet for families Understanding the dying process

For practical guidance, read the Scottish Palliative Care Guidelines - Care in the Last Days of Life
The Clinical Excellence Commission Last Days of Life Toolkit offers guidance and charts to enable recognising dying; management planning; and care after death of adults in hospitals
Use the palliAGED guidance

The Residential Aged Care End of Life Care Pathway (RAC EoLCP) is a care plan that guides the provision of good quality end-of-life (terminal) care in residential aged care
ELDAC has two videos to help with

The Dying Patient pages in the GP section in CareSearch and Symptoms and Medicines pages in palliAGED outline specific guidance based on best practice evidence.
Queensland Health, Clinical Excellence Queensland Care Plan for the Dying Person - Health Professional Guidelines February 2019 provide information and clinical resources for improving care at the end of life.
Gold Standards Framework (UK) provides an evidence-based approach to optimising care for people nearing the end of life. They take a grass-roots approach to change by putting policy into practice
CarerHelp host resources specific to When a person is dying (for patients, families and carers)
The Marie Curie (UK) website has information on Final moments of life (for patients, families and carers)
This articles from Canadian Virtual Hospice discusses Final weeks and days: What to expect (for patients, families, and carers)
The WA Cancer and Palliative Care Network has published an information booklet for families Understanding the dying process
Dying Matters (UK) offers practical advice and resources on how to tell somebody that a loved one is dying, or has died (for patients, families, and carers)

Care Plan for the Dying Person - Health Professional Guidelines February 2019 (756kb pdf) contains information particularly for generalist and novice clinicians on best practice care for people in the last days and hours of life
Residential Aged Care End of Life Care Pathway (RAC EoLCP) guides the provision of good quality end-of-life (terminal) care in residential aged care
Gold Standards Framework (UK) provides an evidence-based approach to optimising care for people nearing the end of life

Services Australia website has information on what to do when someone dies. This can guide you in the tasks that follow such as registering the death and finalising an estate.
The Better Health Channel website has information on what to do after someone dies. A fact sheet that covers practical things such as funerals, where to get help and dealing with grief.
The NSW Government has an information sheet for Nurses on verification of death (1.01MB pdf) that outlines roles and responsibilities.
To understand more about the procedure of a post mortem visit the SA coroner’s office website for consumers on Post Mortems.
Visit the CareSearch website section ‘At the End’ for information suitable for patients and carers.
The Palliative Care Australia website has a leaflet on The dying process that explains the changes that you may notice and the signs to look for that death has occurred.

Here you will find Information from the SA coroner’s office website for consumers on Post Mortems.
The Australian Museum provide information on Preparing a body for disposal.
The QLD Government provide a document: Sad news, sorry business - Guidelines for caring for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through death and dying (518kb pdf). This provides cultural insight and tools for providing culturally and clinically responsive care.
The booklet During sad news and sorry business - information for family (813kb pdf) provides information and practical things to do before and after someone passes away.
From the Palliative Care Bridge website. Listen to Dr Jane Mowll in this video as she talks about viewing the body after death.

Palliative Care Victoria have prepared Culturally Responsive Palliative care - a resource providing background information about ten communities, their cultural perspectives and values.
From the QLD Government a document: Sad news, sorry business - Guidelines for caring for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through death and dying (518kb pdf). This provides cultural insight and tools for providing culturally and clinically responsive care.
To view practice guidelines for culturally sensitive palliative care visit the Centre of Cultural Diversity and Aging website.
To understand different religious beliefs and rituals the Loddon Mallee Regional Palliative care Consortium (Vic) provide a document: An outline of different cultural beliefs at the time of death 2011 (434kb pdf).

To learn how to register for organ donation, visit Australian Organ Donor Register.
Details can also be found on the DonateLife website, an Australian Government initiative to encourage registration.
The ABC website has information on Donating your body to science for medical students to study.
The Palliative Care Network of Wisconsin offers Fast Facts and Concepts #79 centres around Discussing organ donation with families.

Page created 29 September 2022

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