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Ruth Terracini (Violet guide Rose Dillon’s sister) was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at the age of ... Read more

How to get the most out of palliative care

Palliative Care services are only accessed by a quarter of the people who could benefit from them ... Read more

Stephanie's story: the importance of preserving memories

Mum loved to laugh My Mum, Lorraine, was a beautiful person inside and out. She had an incredible ... Read more

Understanding the signs that death might be near

“When you are born you gain skills and abilities in a particular order and we call them ... Read more

Janet's story: talking to a Violet Guide changed my life

When my ex-partner Ian was diagnosed with COPD 10 years ago, it came as a huge shock and I wanted ... Read more
retired man reading newspaper

How family dynamics can disrupt your loved one's end of life goals

For many in the last stage of life, hospital is the safest place to spend their final days. For ... Read more

Caring for someone at a distance

When Cliff’s father was diagnosed with a terminal illness, Cliff and his family had just moved ... Read more

Signs your loved one is ready for a deeper conversation

When Wendy’s partner asked what she’d do when he was gone, she was taken by surprise. “I said I ... Read more

Supporting end of life wishes with advance care planning

From March 22-26, Advance Care Planning Week highlights the importance of considering and ... Read more

Types of grief you may experience along your carer journey

Because the transition into the role of carer seemingly happens overnight, there can be unexpected ... Read more
Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash depicting a candle, notebook and cup of coffee on a table

How a poem helped my partner through her terminal illness

When Brendan’s partner Angie learned she had lung cancer in May 2014, her response to “the news of ... Read more

Ask a Violet Guide About The Carer Journey

In this series, Rose Dillion, Violet Guide and registered nurse with a clinical background in ... Read more
Photo by Meritt Thomas on Unsplash depicting a person standing at the end of a jetty overlooking the water

How a ‘rebirth’ plan helped me give mum the death she wanted

Amanda was relieved when doctors told her mum, who’d been diagnosed with uterine cancer several ... Read more

Caregivers get real about experiencing difficult emotions

Many people in the role of carer feel confusion, sometimes even shame, when they experience ... Read more

Balancing act: paid work and caregiving

When Alia began caring for her mother with late stage emphysema her life looked very different, "I ... Read more

A daughter, or an advocate, for my dying mum?

When her mother was told that her condition was terminal, Sue knew she would put her life on hold ... Read more

Simple ways to maintain intimacy while also providing care

For some, finding the time to be present and connected with your loved one, amongst the physically ... Read more

How to make amends at the end of life

No family is perfect. Each one has disagreements, misunderstandings and dysfunctions. Some are ... Read more

What is Violet's Guided Support Program?

Here, are some frequently asked questions that might help you better understand Violet’s Guided ... Read more

4 things to think about before starting your Advance Care Plan

Advance Care Planning (ACP) is really just planning ahead. You wouldn't go on holiday without ... Read more

How to manage family tension when one of you needs care

As parents grow older or if someone gets sick, families often must make decisions about residential ... Read more

What is it like to die of old age?

We are no longer allowed to write ‘old age’ as a reason for dying on a death certificate. However, ... Read more

Advice carers wish they'd been given at the start of their journey

Life’s most challenging situations have a way of bringing forth lots of advice from friends and ... Read more

The signs of carer burnout that are easy to miss

I’d been living at my Dad’s house for just weeks when his cancer marched forward to win the war. It ... Read more

A guide to communicating with aged care staff

Coming to the realisation that a loved one needs to move into residential aged care (RAC) can be ... Read more

VIDEO: What's it like to die?

Professor Rod MacLeod from Hospice NZ, and one of Violet's clinical committee members, shares a ... Read more

How to manage your emotions

It takes courage to be honest about how you are feeling – with the person you are caring for, with ... Read more

Lessons from the final days with my mother

My mother was a contemplative in her own way. A year before she died, she sent me a classic little ... Read more

Making the most of the final days

Caring for someone who is in the last stages of life can take a lot of time, energy and effort. For ... Read more

How acceptance changed everything - for the better

Caring for her terminally ill mother completely changed Ann Andersen’s perspective on how to ‘do ... Read more

The importance of open and honest conversations

When caring for someone who is approaching the last stages of life, through a life-limiting illness ... Read more

How tough conversations helped this family cope

For Brendan Moran and his family, talking about his wife’s imminent death was natural and ... Read more

VIDEO: Talk about death while you are still healthy

In a candid, heartfelt talk about a subject most of us would rather not discuss, Michelle Knox asks ... Read more

VIDEO: What really matters at the end of life

At the end of our lives, what do we most wish for? For many, it’s simply comfort, respect, love. BJ ... Read more

From nurse, to mum, to carer

As the old saying goes ‘once a nurse, always a nurse’ and ain’t it the truth. I loved being a nurse ... Read more

VIDEO: Let's talk about dying

Peter Saul asks us to think about the end of our lives — and to question the modern model of slow, ... Read more

What to expect in the final days of life

Understanding what to expect in the last stages of life can be reassuring. It can help you and your ... Read more

The basics: end-of-life choices

In our experience, the ‘inner circle’ who care for the seriously ill or frail person – which may ... Read more

Find services to help you care for your loved one

If you are caring for someone in the last stages of life, you may find the following services, ... Read more

The importance of emotional support

Being able to talk honestly about how you are feeling is a good start. Often it can help to have ... Read more

How to share the load with friends and family

It’s important to ask for help People tell us that caring for someone in the last stages of life is ... Read more

The basics: palliative care

It aims to alleviate pain and suffering and to integrate medical with spiritual, emotional and ... Read more

VIDEO: Why we should all talk about dying

Dr Kathryn Mannix, palliative care consultant and author of ‘With The End in Mind’ talks about ... Read more

The last six months of my mother's life

Dr Novak was a Jewish refugee imprisoned in Auschwitz during the Second World War. He looked after ... Read more

How I learned to hold space for my dying mother

When my Mom was dying, my siblings and I gathered to be with her in her final days. None of us knew ... Read more

The Basics: advance care planning

What is an advance care plan? An advance care plan details your future wishes for your health, care ... Read more

The Basics: accessing disease specific information

Why are condition-specific organisations important? These organisations can provide specialist ... Read more

How doctors choose to die

Doctors know enough about death to know what all people fear most: dying in pain and dying alone. Read more

Where to find practical help

What help is available? As well as tending to the needs of the dying person, you may also need help ... Read more

Caregivers share their self care tips

Self-care is a powerful caring tool. It can prevent burnout, vicarious trauma and compassion ... Read more

The basics: aged care

“Heroes are made by the path they choose, not the powers they are graced with.”- Ironman Read more

 

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