Dying, death and loss touch our lives in many ways. For example, each year in Australia at least half a million people experience the impact of terminal illness.

In the workplace, there will be many people living with or caring for someone with a terminal illness – and that person might be you.

Terminal illness touches many of us and there is much you can do to help both yourself as well as work colleagues experiencing challenging personal circumstances.

The federal government has launched the National Community Education Initiative: Make a Difference and has devoted funding to a Palliative Care Australia website full of resources that can help you make that difference: http://www.livingcaringworking.com/

The website helps guide you through knowing about and understanding illness, dying and loss, and importantly, the questions to ask about the types of specialised care and support available, which is the key to getting the best care when it is needed.

What is it like?

As a work colleague, it can be difficult to know how to react to, or understand, someone who is living with a life threatening illness or their carer.

People in these challenging personal situations may continue to work because of the benefits it offers them, including:

• maintaining an important part of their identity and social contact
• keeping a sense of order and control in an uncertain environment
• earning income to pay for medical treatments
• providing for their family.

However, people living with a life threatening illness and their carers face additional demands on their time, energy and commitments.

People living with a life threatening illness need to cope with the physical and emotional strain of the illness and the various side effects of treatments and medications. They may experience difficulties, such as:

• lack of concentration and memory
• tiredness from emotion and sleepless nights
• feelings of depression
• reduced patience and short temper.

Living with a life threatening illness may also lead people to reassess what is most important in their lives.

Carers may be required to administer and monitor medication, shower/bathe, lift, feed and generally meet all the needs of their family member/friend. Carers have little time for themselves outside work hours to relax or to find entertainment. In addition to this physical work, carers have to cope with the emotional pressure and grief of possibly losing a loved one. They may also suffer from a lack of concentration, tiredness, reduced patience and feelings of depression.

Understanding from work colleagues can make a crucial difference to how well someone living with a life threatening illness or their carer is able to cope.

People with a life threatening illness will have a range of needs that go beyond meeting their physical or medical requirements. As such, they need to be offered holistic care which focuses on quality of life and aims to help people live well.

A team of health care professionals including doctors, nurses, allied health workers, chaplains and volunteers should provide specialised, coordinated care addressing the physical, emotional, social, cultural and spiritual needs of not just the ill person, but of their family and carers. This type of care can last for weeks, months or even years.

This approach aims to make the patient feel in control of their treatment and their quality of life. It involves family and friends, recognising that they, too, need to be prepared for the life threatening illness of someone they love.

The ‘living working caring’ website was developed by Palliative Care Australia (PCA) with funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. PCA is the peak national body representing the interests of people living with a life threatening illness. PCA aims to increase access to services for people living with a life threatening illness and their families and carers.