The project was sponsored by the Gippsland Primary Health Network. As Practice Support Officer Michelle Crosby said, “We need to understand how we can better support our communities address the issues surrounding death. We know the key is ‘having the conversation’ and we are looking for ways to better initiate these conversations by listening to doctors, nurses and citizens”.

It is sometimes hard to have these conversations in advance of the time of need. But by having these conversations with health professionals, family and friends early, it can help support a better death. Often, people plan about what will happen after they die and when they are living well. They can tend to ignore the time in between, particularly as they approach death. For example, most people say they would like to die at home but most people end up dying in a hospital. The reasons for this are complex but it can happen because the wishes of the dying person are not known and communicated well enough in advance. This approach to planning for end of life is known as Advance Care Planning.