Around 1,600 older Australians will have free access to digital advance care plans (ACPs) to ensure they retain autonomy and control over the end-of-life care they receive.
The J.O & J.R Wicking Trust has granted $85,000 to Touchstone Life Care and aged care provider, Whiddon to deliver digital ACPs to 1,600 aged care residents, with the aim of improving the quality of life and death for older Australians.
Touchstone Life Care is Australia's first fully digital ACP platform, founded and developed with best practice co-design principles for older Australians by Australian medical doctor, Dr Merran Cooper.
"We are thrilled to partner with Whiddon to deliver digital ACPs to more Australians over the next 12 months, and I want to thank the Wicking Trust for this opportunity," Dr Cooper said.
"We know that less than seven per cent of Australians currently have an ACP. When ACPs do exist, they are typically in paper form, poor quality, or without meaningful instructions for clinicians to enact.
"This often results in doctors prescribing end-of-life care that is not aligned with the patient's wishes.
"A digital ACP removes those risks, providing cloud-based advance care planning documents that are available at transitions of care and across care settings, in real time.
This project will integrate Touchstone Life Care's platform into Whiddon's systems, involve train the trainer sessions for Whiddon employees, and allow Whiddon residents and clients to create, edit and discuss their digital ACPs before they're needed.
Whiddon Deputy CEO, Alyson Jarrett, said this was an exciting opportunity to improve the experience for Whiddon residents and clients, and their families.
"It's never easy having a discussion about your end-of-life wishes, but it is a reality that we all need to face," Ms Jarrett said.
"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.
"This fosters a sense of control and dignity, enhancing overall wellbeing and respect for residents in their final stages of life."
The Grant Program and Social Impact Manager for Equity Trustees, which manages the Trust said this initiative was directly aligned with the Wicking Trust's values and principles.
"The Wicking Trust distributes grants to people, programs and research that significantly improve the quality of life and death for older Australians," Ms Susie Meagher said.
"We have a very clear alignment with the Touchstone Life Care platform and the benefits it brings to older Australians in their end-of-life planning.
"This project will gather data to help us better understand the needs of older Australians towards the end of their life, and improve the aged care and end-of-life care given to this cohort."
The project has already commenced and will be delivered across a number of Whiddon homes in NSW and QLD.
The Touchstone Life Care platform specifically addresses several recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety that relate to digital ACPs.
With the new Aged Care Act, strengthened Standards and an appointed regulator expected to be in place within 12 months, aged care providers will run the risk of being non-compliant if they do not comply with Standards for Advance Care Planning.
In Australia, ACPs are relevant to the:
- 4 million people aged over 65, along with their families.
- 2,218 providers delivering residential and home-based aged care who are required to have provided digital ACPs to all of their 360,000 clients.
- 160,000 Australians who die each year and 160,000 who enter ICU each year, as well as their families, medical decision makers and care providers.
