Access the Care Plan for the Dying Person education package or search 'Care Plan for the Dying Person' in your local online learning system.
Current projects
Care Plan for the Dying Person Digital Uplift Project
The Care Plan for the Dying Person Digital Uplift Project is a statewide quality improvement initiative aimed at aligning best practice end-of-life care within the integrated electronic Medical Record (ieMR).
New and improved care plans, fact sheets, quick reference guides and an education package are now available as part of the Care Plan for the Dying Person Digital Uplift Project.
Care Plan for the Dying Person
The Care Plan for the Dying Person (CPDP) is a clinical tool developed for health professionals to support high-quality care in the last days and hours of life.
- Supports generalist staff caring for a person in the terminal phase of dying
- Available as a PowerForm, with a specialised observation chart
- Endorsed in Queensland Health hospitals since 2010
- Based on the International Collaborative for Best Care for the Dying Person 10/40 Model Care Plan, including 10 principles and 40 outcomes of best care.
For non-ieMR enabled sites
Care Plan for the Dying Person (Version 9) (PDF 1426 kB) – example only. The paper-based CPDP can be ordered through WINC, using the WINC code: 1NY31713
For ieMR enabled sites
Step 1. Order CPDP Terminal Adult PowerPlan
Step 2. Complete CPDP PowerForm. Refer to the quick reference guide (PDF 514 kB) for step-by-step instructions.
Step 3. Change to 'Palliative Care Comfort Observation and Symptom Assessment (COSA) Adult' in 'Managing Deterioration'.
For clinical support, contact your local specialist palliative care service or PallConsult on 1300 725 527 (1300 PALLCR)
Supporting resources
Use the expandable sections below to learn more about the supporting resources for the CPDP. Quick reference guides and fact sheets are available to download.
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The Care Plan for the Dying Person eLearning module introduces the CPDP, outlines the key principles and core concepts of caring for a dying person in a hospital setting, and shows how these are applied in existing paper-based and digital health records.
Access the Care Plan for the Dying Person education package or search 'Care Plan for the Dying Person' in your local Learning Management System.
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Quick reference guides
- COSA Additional Criteria Adult (PDF 697 kB)
- COSA Chart Adult - Nursing (PDF 363 kB)
- COSA Specialty Chart Adult - Authorised Health Practitioner (PDF 405 kB)
The new Palliative Care COSA Specialty Chart is designed to support safe, consistent and coordinated care during the end-of-life phase. The chart integrates with the 'Managing Deterioration' workflows and includes a structured symptom rating system (Absent, Mild, Moderate, Severe) to help clinicians document and assess symptoms. Clinicians can also document directly within the new Palliative Care COSA Specialty Chart PowerForm. Once selected, this can prevent medical emergency team calls and further escalations and observations based on Early Warning Scores.
The new workflow aims to support carers and families in managing these events, with the dignity and comfort of the person remaining the central focus during the final stages of life.
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These evidence-based fact sheets are designed to support health professionals in caring for a person in the terminal phase of dying.
- Agitation and restlessness in the last days of life (PDF 189 kB)
- Bladder care in the last days of life (PDF 200 kB)
- Bowel care in the last days of life (PDF 185 kB)
- Breathlessness in the last days of life (PDF 201 kB)
- Care after death (PDF 202 kB)
- Care environment in the last days of life (PDF 179 kB)
- Family and carer distress in the last days of life (PDF 206 kB)
- Mouth care in the last days of life (PDF 196 kB)
- Nausea and vomiting in the last days of life (PDF 205 kB)
- Nutrition and hydration in the last days of life (PDF 202 kB)
- Pain in the last days of life (PDF 205 kB)
- Respiratory tract and secretions in the last days of life (PDF 206 kB)
- Skin hygiene in the last days of life (PDF 196 kB)
- Spiritual and cultural needs in the last days of life (PDF 189 kB)
About the unit
The Statewide Specialist Palliative Care Digital Health Support Unit strengthens digital health resources for both specialist and non-specialist palliative care services. The unit's key objectives are to:
- develop and provide standardised statewide digital health resources
- support the development and maintenance of dashboards to enable data-driven decision-making
- offer mentorship to promote best practices in digital palliative care.
By centralising these efforts, the unit supports effective benchmarking to help compare performance across services and identify areas for improvement. This approach enables strategic planning and leads to more effective palliative care delivery.