CareSearch Project

12/11/2025

COSA conference

We’re excited to be at the COSA–IPOS Joint Annual Scientific Meeting in Adelaide! It’s a valuable opportunity to engage with leading oncology and palliative care professionals, share evidence-based insights, and explore innovative approaches to improving cancer care and carer support.

👋 Come say hi at the CarerHelp booth—we’d love to meet you!

11/11/2025

Research spotlight💡

Outlines how GPs🩺 deliver whole-person, continuous care throughout the cancer journey🎗️, addressing complexity, transitions, and coordination needs. The authors call for strengthened system-level supports to enable this role.

Read here👉https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41015746/

11/11/2025

“🕯️ Bereavement is something we’ll all face at some point—whether it’s the loss of a parent, partner, friend, or patient. And while grief is deeply personal, the support we receive (or don’t) can make a huge difference in how we navigate this experience.”

In this blog, Dr Nicci Bartley, Postdoctoral Research Associate at The Psycho-Oncology Cooperative Research Group, The University of Sydney, shares recent research revealing major gaps in bereavement care resources📑, particularly around accessibility, language💬, and cultural inclusivity. The study proposes a bereaved-centred model of care that emphasises continuity, structure, cultural responsiveness, and staff support to ensure care truly meets people where they’re at. 💛

Read here🔗https://www.caresearch.com.au/About-Us/Newsroom/Palliative-Perspectives/Palliative-Perspectives-Blog-Details/ArtMID/17907/ArticleID/6134/Let%e2%80%99s-talk-about-bereavement-care-Are-we-meeting-people-where-they%e2%80%99re-at

10/11/2025

📢 GP Kit now available to pre-order

👩‍⚕️ GPs play a vital role in delivering person-centred and coordinated care for people approaching the end of life. The newly launched CareSearch GP Kit provides practical, evidence-informed tools and resources to support quality palliative care. 🤝

The resources cover:
✔️ Assessing patient and carer needs
✔️ Planning and discussing care 💬
✔️ Symptoms and their management
✔️ The dying patient
✔️ Bereavement 🕯️
✔️ Professional practice

Each kit also includes a Patient Carer resource pack 📖 that GPs can easily share with patients and families. This pack is also available to order separately.

Pre-order your GP Kit today👉 https://www.caresearch.com.au/Health-Professionals/General-Practitioner/GP-Kit

09/11/2025

💬 Have your say: Help improve support for unpaid carers 💜

Are you an unpaid carer? Your insights matter. The Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing invites you to share your experiences and views to help shape better support for unpaid carers across Australia.

The survey will help explore ways to:

✅ Improve access to counselling, mental health support, and respite care

✅ Provide better support for First Nations carers, carers from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ carers, carers with disability, carers of veterans, and young carers.

The survey will ask:

💭 What changes would make the biggest difference for carers?

💭 What does good support look like to you?

🕒 Complete the survey by 11:59 pm (AEDT), Wednesday 19 November 2025.

Access the survey here👉 https://nousgroupau.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b9tDorFvDVaBleS

06/11/2025

Next week, CarerHelp will be exhibiting at the 2025 COSA–IPOS Joint Annual Scientific Meeting in Adelaide (11–14 Nov)! It’s the perfect opportunity to connect with oncologists, researchers, and healthcare professionals from around the world.

👋 Come meet the team and explore CarerHelp’s trustworthy resources for carers of people at the end of life—covering self-care, symptom management, preparing for dying, and accessing support services.

We can't wait to see you there!

06/11/2025

“Carers are one of the most vulnerable groups for feeling out of touch with social networks and alone in their caring journeys.”– Chelsea Menchin, National Project Manager, Palliative Care Australia

In rural communities, caring for someone at the end of life can be isolating—even for the most resilient.

CarerHelp provides tailored resources for country carers—support when you need it most. From practical tips for self-care, to guidance on who to call after hours, and links to local services, CarerHelp helps rural carers stay connected and supported.

Learn more👉https://www.carerhelp.com.au/Communities/Caring-in-the-country

05/11/2025

“Palliative care is delivered in many places—by many hands. Whether you're a nurse in aged care, a GP in a rural clinic, or an allied health professional in the community 👨‍⚕️, your role in supporting people with life-limiting illness is vital. But how do we know we’re delivering the best care possible? And how can we keep improving to ensure that we are providing high-quality palliative care to all? 💛”

In this blog, Kate Ritchie, Senior Project Officer, Palliative Care Australia, introduced The National Palliative Care Standards and the Palliative Care Self-Assessment (PaCSA) tool. 📄 This free, downloadable tool helps services reflect on practice, identify improvement opportunities, and enhance the quality of palliative care. Suitable for all care settings, PaCSA supports teams in aligning with national standards, strengthening collaboration, and ensuring care is person-centred and culturally safe. 🤝

Read here🔗 https://www.caresearch.com.au/About-Us/Newsroom/Palliative-Perspectives/Palliative-Perspectives-Blog-Details/ArtMID/17907/ArticleID/6120/Embedding-quality-in-practice-Using-the-Standards-and-Palliative-Care-Self-Assessment-PaCSA-to-strengthen-palliative-care

04/11/2025

The Role of Allied Health in Advance Care Planning 🌻

Advance Care Planning (ACP) empowers individuals to make informed decisions about their future healthcare, especially during end-of-life care. It ensures that treatment aligns with personal values, goals, and preferences — and allied health professionals play an essential role in this journey. 💛

🔹Speech Pathologists help patients navigate choices around food and fluid intake, balancing safety with comfort and quality of life.

🔹Physiotherapists & Occupational Therapists support goal setting and discuss preferred places of care and death, helping patients maintain dignity and autonomy.

🔹Social Workers facilitate meaningful conversations, coordinate family meetings, and assist with planning — from enduring powers of attorney to funeral arrangements.

💬 Supporting someone through this journey? Or want to be better equipped yourself?

🔗 https://www.caresearch.com.au/Health-Professionals/Allied-Health/Clinical-Considerations/Advance-Care-Planning

03/11/2025

“Grief is often seen as something that belongs to families and friends. But what about the nurses who care for people in their final days?” 💭

In this blog, Dr Michelle Stubbs, Program Convenor Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Newcastle, highlights the emotional toll experienced by registered nurses in residential aged care facilities. 💛 Unlike hospital settings, the long-term relationships nurses form with residents makes each loss deeply personal, leading to cumulative grief. 😔 A key finding was how often nurses felt compelled to suppress their grief due to busy workloads and professional expectations. The study calls for more structured support and recognition of nurses’ grief to foster compassionate, high-quality aged care. 🤝🌸

Read the blog🔗https://www.caresearch.com.au/About-Us/Newsroom/Palliative-Perspectives/Palliative-Perspectives-Blog-Details/ArtMID/17907/ArticleID/6116/Caring-through-loss-How-aged-care-nurses-navigate-grief

31/10/2025

🌟 New ELDAC Hot Topic for Allied Health Professionals ▶️
https://www.eldac.com.au/Our-Toolkits/Allied-Health/Hot-Topics/Hot-Topic-4-My-Health-Record

My Health Record is becoming an increasingly important part of Australia’s healthcare system, helping improve communication and continuity of care. Yet usage remains limited.

ELDAC's latest Hot Topic explains how Allied Health Professionals can access and use My Health Record with confidence to support safer, coordinated care, including:

• What information is in a My Health Record
• How to access it safely and appropriately
• How it can support better care for older people and those with palliative care needs
• Training and resources to help you get started

Take a look and share with your colleagues! Allied Health Professions Australia

31/10/2025