Violet's specialised tech-enabled model is one of two approaches the Index recommends can deliver rapid impact, alongside better use of the well-funded Carer Gateway program, which has national reach but remains underutilised.
Violet has launched Care Compass, an intuitive, shareable and values-first planning tool to help families, carers and clinicians have conversations about end-of-life care. The non-binding nature of the Care Compass tool takes away some of the intimidation felt and takes just 15 minutes.
Only one in three Australians have taken steps to plan for future health care decisions.
Source: womensagenda.com.au
As Australia's population ages, services like Violet are becoming increasingly crucial.
The Index recommends two approaches that can deliver rapid impact: Violet's specialised tech-enabled model, and better use of the well-funded Carer Gateway program, which has national reach but remains underutilised. In recent years, almost 30,000 people have utilised Violet and its national network of guides, along with a digital support service. Mitch Gibson is among Violet's 50 guides and is proud to provide personal care and support to grieving families.
Source: sbs.com.au
Organisations like Violet, an online platform designed to facilitate planning and management, are attempting to address those challenges.
New data from the Violet Initiative's 2025 Care Index highlights the growing burden on the so-called "sandwich generation" – the name given to those who simultaneously have to care for their children and ageing parents. Australia is hurtling towards a healthcare crisis, with more than 2 million people set to become unpaid carers within the next five years.
Violet's Care Compass is a proven, low-cost intervention that saves money, saves stress, and saves dignity, and Violet offers an initial free consultation, with services then available via subscription.
Adding this simple step takes no new infrastructure, no significant reform, just common sense.
Violet, including its AI advice pilot Meet Violet, is included, and all these services are free, while existing processes and tools for end-of-life care planning can be complex, intimidating and end up underused, said Violet chair Kate Carnell.
Source: sbs.com.au
Existing processes and tools for end-of-life care planning can be complex, intimidating and end up underused, said Violet chair Kate Carnell. Only one in three Australians have taken steps to plan for future health care decisions, the national Advance Care Planning Prevalence in Australia study shows.
Although advance care planning has been around for decades and has received millions of dollars in federal funding, uptake is still low, she added. The health check already exists, but a usable tool is missing from the process, Ms Reader argued.
Some 2.2 million Australians are expected to become unpaid carers by 2030, which experts say could fuel a workplace crisis. The research indicates that 73 per cent of impacted families work full-time while managing their caregiving responsibilities. A significant 53 per cent are forced to choose between their careers and providing care, while 67 per cent have experienced workplace discrimination.
Source: nine.com.au
Australia is hurtling towards a healthcare crisis, with more than 2 million people set to become unpaid carers within the next five years. The not-for-profit group is calling for the government to embed the Care Compass into the existing 75-year health check, with Violet chief executive officer Melissa Reader pointing to the success of the bowel cancer screening test for early intervention and improved survival rates.
Source: theageingagenda.com.au
