As Australia confronts an unprecedented demographic shift, with 12,000 people turning 85 each year-a figure set to balloon to 60,000 within five years-a new organisation is revolutionising how the nation approaches death, dying, and grief.
Founded by The Violet Initiative, a not-for-profit social enterprise, the organisation has emerged as a vital resource for nearly 30,000 Australians navigating the complex terrain of end-of-life care.
A Crisis Hidden in Plain Sight
Australia faces what Violet’s chair, Kate Carnell, describes as “this century’s biggest economic and social crisis”-one we’re “sleepwalking into.” The statistics paint a sobering picture: more than 180,000 Australians die annually, yet only 14 per cent have end-of-life plans in place. The consequences ripple through families, healthcare systems, and the economy itself.
“Eight to eleven per cent of Australia’s total health budget is spent on people in their final stage of life,” Carnell notes, highlighting the economic dimension of this unfolding crisis. A 2024 report by The Violet Initiative reveals that caring for dying people in hospitals costs approximately $4 billion annually – a figure forecast to rise dramatically as the population ages.
The Gap Between Wishes and Reality
CEO Melissa Reader illuminates a profound disconnect in Australian end-of-life care: “Up to 90 per cent of us want to be cared for at home for as long as possible, with our family and friends and everything that’s familiar to us. But that is not what’s playing out today.”
Instead, the reality is starkly different. Australians in their final year typically endure at least four hospital admissions, spending an average of 33-34 days in medical facilities. One in two Australians dies in hospital-their least preferred location. This mismatch between desires and outcomes underscores the urgent need for comprehensive support systems.
From Personal Tragedy to National Solution
Reader’s transformation of Violet in 2020 was born from personal experience. After losing her husband Mauro to cancer at just 39, leaving her to raise three children alone, she understood viscerally the gaps in end-of-life support. “We were completely unprepared for Mauro’s death. He died in intensive care, and it was a very clinical and impersonal experience, quite frightening for all of us, including him,” she recalls.
The organisation’s name itself carries symbolic weight: “Violet is the last colour of the day and the first colour of the dawn. So it’s a really lovely reference to the passing of time,” Reader explains.
A Multi-Faceted Approach
Violet’s comprehensive support model addresses the overwhelming complexity families face. “People come to us saying, ‘I just do not know where to start,’” Reader says. A typical scenario involves adult children – often eldest daughters – suddenly thrust into caregiving roles while juggling careers and their own families.
The organisation operates through multiple channels:
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Personal Guides: A network of 50 trained volunteers, many with lived experience of loss, provide one-on-one counselling and practical support. Mitch Gibson, one such guide, came to Violet after simultaneously caring for her father with dementia and her partner with stage four pancreatic cancer. “I am someone who has cared for a dying person, and someone who has grieved. So why not use that to help someone else?” she reflects.
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Digital Innovation: Under chief product and technology officer Yaniv Bernstein’s leadership, Violet has developed an AI-enabled digital companion offering 24/7 support in multiple languages. “People can have a conversation at any time, in many languages of their choice. And what they then get is a real assessment of where they’re at, what stage they’re in, what their needs are,” Bernstein explains.
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Educational Resources: The platform provides comprehensive information about everything from voluntary assisted dying to estate planning, helping families navigate legal, medical, and emotional complexities.
Reframing the Conversation
Reader emphasises that Violet’s mission isn’t to promise easy deaths or magical solutions: “This is not an easy stage of life. It’s very complex, it’s very emotional, and there’s a lot of uncertainty.” Instead, the organisation aims to empower families with knowledge, support, and practical tools to make informed decisions aligned with their values.
The service operates on a subscription model following an initial free consultation, making professional end-of-life support accessible to a broader population. This accessibility is crucial as Australia’s health and aged care systems strain under current demand, let alone the anticipated fivefold increase in the over-85 population.
The Path Forward
As Australia grapples with this demographic transition, Violet represents a new paradigm in end-of-life care – one that acknowledges death as a natural part of life deserving dignity, preparation, and support. The organisation’s growth to nearly 30,000 users demonstrates the hunger for such services.
“Digital technology plays an important role in making services and information available to all Australians when they need it, 24/7,” Carnell emphasises. “And that’s what Violet is providing.”
In a society that often treats death as taboo, Violet is fostering essential conversations, providing practical support, and helping Australians reclaim agency over life’s final chapter. As the demographic wave approaches, such initiatives may prove not just valuable but indispensable to maintaining both dignity in death and sustainability in healthcare.
