The last chapter matters: Practical tips on end-of-life conversations

When it comes to life’s final chapter, many healthcare professionals feel hesitant and unprepared to initiate vital conversations around end-of-life planning and care.

Rushed decisions are often made, potentially turning proactive support into reactive interventions that ultimately do not provide person-centred care.

Professor Imogen Mitchell AM, a leading voice in transforming later-life care, brings deep insight into building workforce capability and confidence in this crucial area.

After first focusing on ways to recognise and respond to patient deterioration in hospital settings, Professor Mitchell realised that many people also struggled to recognise rapid deterioration. Necessary responses were missed, meaning that impactful comfort care never came.

She knows that if healthcare and aged care professionals can figure out that people are dying sooner then they can deliver better care and support in advance.

A key part of that processes is being able to have critical conversations that lead to positive outcomes.

“The greatest gift we can offer elderly Australians isn’t just our medical expertise, but our willingness to have honest conversations before crisis strikes,” Professor Mitchell said.

“When we normalise planning for life’s final chapter, we transform what could be a clinical process into a deeply human one—creating space for dignity, choice and meaning when they matter most.”

In the upcoming practical webinar, The last chapter matters: From rushed decisions to respectful planning, Professor Mitchell will explore how to move beyond crisis-driven decisions in hospital corridors to enable meaningful conversations and choices earlier in the care journey.

Drawing from extensive clinical and policy experience, she will talk about how she has learned to confidently navigate these conversations and build organisational cultures that normalise planning for life’s final chapter.

This event is proudly presented by Violet. Hello Leaders recently spoke with the organisation’s Founder and CEO, Melissa Reader, about its current campaign promoting the need for increased support for the sandwich generation – those caring for their ageing parents and their own kids.

Key details

Date: Wednesday, March 19
Time: 6pm – 7.30pm AEDT
Location: Online
Tickets: Free

Registrations are still open, and limited places available.

Why this matters to your organisation

Your workforce faces these challenging conversations daily, often without adequate preparation or support. The emotional toll contributes directly to burnout and staff turnover, while missed opportunities for better planning impact both care outcomes and operational efficiency.

Organisations that equip their teams with these crucial skills report higher staff confidence, improved resident and family satisfaction, and more appropriate resource utilisation. In a sector facing unprecedented demographic pressures, this capability isn’t just compassionate care – it’s organisational resilience.