TL;DR
Turn your wind-down time into listening time
- Thousands of audiobooks, podcasts and originals
- Listen on your phone, tablet or Echo — also offline
- Cancel anytime
A La Trobe University report based on a survey of 3,119 Australians found that many lack key end-of-life plans or knowledge, including how to access palliative care or what to do when someone dies at home. Researchers have launched READYConnect, an online quiz and resource tool intended to help people identify gaps and start conversations.
La Trobe University researchers say many Australians are unprepared for end-of-life decisions and practical tasks, according to a national report based on a survey of 3,119 adults. Released with the online tool READYConnect, the findings point to gaps in knowledge about palliative care, required paperwork and what to do when someone dies at home.
The 2026 National Death Literacy and Readiness Report found that 54% of respondents did not know where to access palliative care, while 58% did not know what documents are needed for end-of-life planning. Almost 63% said they did not know what to do when someone dies at home. The survey also found that 48% had not prepared a will.
Some respondents had direct experience supporting people near death: 53% said they had kept someone company as that person neared death, and 42% said they had witnessed someone’s death. Yet only 23% had recorded their wishes in an advance care directive, and 11% had documented how they wanted their online assets handled after death. The report says 74% did not know enough about voluntary assisted dying to access it for themselves or support someone else.
READYConnect offers a short digital quiz that gives users personalized feedback and links to resources. Researchers say people can use it on their own, while general practitioners, palliative care services and services for older adults could also refer patients and families to it. La Trobe’s Public Health Palliative Care Unit and the Death Literacy Institute developed the tool using a body of research that drew on 5,000 surveys over eight years.
Planning Gaps Affect Families
The findings matter because end-of-life arrangements can involve medical choices, legal documents and practical responsibilities that fall to individuals and the people close to them. The survey suggests that many respondents lack information about where to seek care or what steps to take, even though many have already supported someone nearing death.
Researchers argue that better public understanding could help people communicate their preferences and prepare for decisions before a crisis. The report does not measure whether READYConnect changes planning behavior or improves care. Its immediate purpose is to help users identify topics they may need to discuss and find relevant information.
La Trobe acting unit head Dr. Kerrie Noonan said understanding available options can support actions such as making a will, appointing a decision-maker or talking with family and friends. Those are examples of steps people may consider; the survey does not establish that any single measure is appropriate for every person.
How the National Survey Was Conducted
The report describes death literacy as people’s knowledge, skills and confidence in dealing with dying, death and grief. The field is part of public health palliative care research, which began in Australia and has since been taken up internationally, according to the source report.
The latest survey included 3,119 Australians from adult age groups across every state and territory. Researchers at La Trobe’s Public Health Palliative Care Unit and Death Literacy Institute conducted it. The report says READYConnect draws on 5,000 surveys gathered across eight years of research; the available summary does not provide a detailed breakdown of that earlier research.
Survey results distinguish between experience and preparation. For example, 30% of respondents said they had been appointed as an enduring guardian or decision-maker for someone else, while 23% had written down their own end-of-life wishes in an advance care directive. These figures describe respondents’ reported circumstances and do not show how plans vary by age, location or other factors.
““We are facing a lasting demographic shift, not a temporary surge in demand for end-of-life care.””
— Holly Smith, senior project officer
What the Findings Do Not Show
The report summary does not provide the survey’s full methodology, including its recruitment approach, response rate or the exact wording used for each question. Those details would help readers assess how representative the results are of all Australian adults. The findings are self-reported and do not establish why respondents had or lacked particular plans.
It is also not yet clear how many people have used READYConnect, whether health and community services will adopt it widely, or whether using it leads to more completed plans or family discussions. The report presents the platform as a way to assess readiness and connect people with resources, but provides no outcome data showing its effect on care or preparedness.
Use and Evaluation of READYConnect
READYConnect is available for people to use independently, and researchers envision referrals through general practitioners, palliative care providers and services for older adults. The source report does not give a schedule for wider rollout or say when an evaluation of the tool’s use may be published.
For now, the researchers point users toward taking the quiz, discussing wishes with someone close to them and engaging with community support. Whether those steps lead to broader changes in planning will depend on how people and services use the platform, a question that remains open.
Key Questions
What did the Australian report find?
In a survey of 3,119 adults, 54% said they did not know where to access palliative care, 58% did not know what documents were needed for end-of-life planning, and almost 63% did not know what to do when someone dies at home.
What is READYConnect?
READYConnect is an online quiz and resource tool developed by La Trobe University researchers. It gives users personalized feedback about their death literacy and links to resources.
How many respondents had recorded end-of-life wishes?
The report says 23% had written down their wishes in an advance care directive. It also found that 11% had documented how they wanted their online assets managed after death.
Does the report show that READYConnect improves planning?
No outcome results were reported in the source summary. Researchers describe the tool’s intended role, but its effect on planning or care has not been established in the material provided.
Source: rss
Fall Picks
fall essentials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
