New digital ACPs to empower older Australians
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Touchstone Life Care and aged care provider Whiddon have secured an $85,000 grant from the J.O & J.R Wicking Trust to provide free digital advance care plans (ACPs) to 1,600 older Australians.
This initiative aims to improve the quality of end-of-life care for aged care residents by ensuring their preferences are clearly documented and accessible.
The grant will fund the integration of Touchstone Life Care’s digital ACP platform into Whiddon’s systems. Over the next 12 months, Whiddon residents and clients will be able to create, edit, and discuss their ACPs. Touchstone Life Care, founded by Dr. Merran Cooper, is Australia’s first fully digital ACP platform, designed specifically for older Australians.
“We are thrilled to partner with Whiddon to deliver digital ACPs to more Australians,” said Dr. Cooper. “Less than seven per cent of Australians currently have an ACP, and those that do are often poor quality or in paper form, leading to end-of-life care that may not align with the patient’s wishes.”
The project will include training sessions for Whiddon employees to ensure they can support residents in using the digital platform. According to Whiddon Deputy CEO, Alyson Jarrett, this initiative will enhance the dignity and wellbeing of residents by giving them control over their end-of-life care preferences.
“It’s never easy having a discussion about your end-of-life wishes, but it is a reality that we all need to face.This project will ensure that older Australians in our care will have control over their preferences for end-of-life care, even if their communication is impacted due to illness or incapacity,” Jarrett said.
Susie Meagher, Grant Program and Social Impact Manager for Equity Trustees, which manages the Wicking Trust, emphasised that the project aligns with the Trust’s mission to improve the quality of life and death for older Australians. “This project will gather data to help us better understand the needs of older Australians and improve the care they receive towards the end of their life,” Meagher stated.
Ritchelle is a Content Producer for Healthcare Channel, Australia’s premier resource of information for healthcare.
