The Healthy End of Life Program (HELP) is an initiative of La Trobe University that has been operating over the last 10 years, equipping people at the end of life and their carers with the tools and confidence to activate social support around them, complimenting their medical care.
Three years ago, the HELP App was introduced as a digital extension of this work. Following a recent review the team have announced that from 1st June 2026 the app will no longer be available to download from app stores.
The HELP App team have shared that while the App provided benefits for many users, digital tools don’t work for everyone, especially at end of life, when things can feel overwhelming. Some health professionals also reported that introducing a digital platform can be more challenging than offering a tangible, printed resource. Alongside this, changes to technology related costs have made the continuation of the App unviable.
The team have advised that the program will continue supporting people at end of life and their carers to access support from their social networks via resources that can be printed and shared:
- The recommended tool to coordinate and organise social support can be found on the following link: HELP Guide.
- The key palliative care tips and content from the App have now been transitioned over to the HELP website making them easier to access and share.
If you’re currently using the app:
- You will be contacted by the HELP team via email to talk you through this process and support you along the way.
- You can still access your network until June 30 but you will not be able to download or update the App after June 1st.
- The HELP app team recommends taking screenshots to save any important messages or photos as soon as possible.
- You can find the printable HELP Guide for families, carers and friends here.
If you are a coordinator of the the HELP App network, you will be contacted individually by the HELP Team to ensure messaging is timely and clear, this will also be communicated through the App.
If you have any questions, please email: info@healthyendoflifeprogram.org
Palliative Care NSW would like to acknowledge the work of the HELP team and their leadership and commitment to addressing challenges with innovative thinking and technology. It’s important we continue to foster and encourage technology-led solutions alongside person-led solutions to meet the growing demand for quality support and care at end of life.
