A free Australian-made app is changing the way people approach end-of-life care, offering vital support when it is needed most. The Healthy End-of-Life Planning (HELP) app, developed by La Trobe University, has already supported more than 1,100 users since launching in 2024 – including its founder, Dr Andrea Grindrod.
The app is designed to help people with a life-limiting illness, such as cancer or dementia, build and coordinate a private care network of friends, family, carers and neighbours. It bridges the often-overlooked gap between medical care and community support.
Dr Grindrod, Director of La Trobe’s Public Health Palliative Care Unit, created the HELP Program after years of research into how people manage serious illness. But she never imagined she would rely on it herself.
“I was shocked when my research and personal life collided. I never expected to need palliative care at this stage in our lives and use the app myself for support,” she said.
Dr Grindrod’s husband Greg was diagnosed with stage four metastatic cancer. In the wake of that news, the HELP app became a practical and emotional lifeline.
“Our world changed overnight. When Greg began chemotherapy, I needed help to juggle my research work and daily home life pressures. If I was able to do it all myself, I would have, but I couldn’t,” she said.
“Letting people help isn’t a weakness – it’s a strength. And it allowed us to focus more on each other, not just logistics.”
The app allows users to list practical tasks they need help with – like transport, meal prep, gardening or simply companionship – and invite trusted people into their ‘care network’. Each person can choose how and when they can assist, helping reduce stress and avoid carer burnout.
Backed by evidence-based research from La Trobe University, the HELP model is now included in Palliative Care Australia’s National Palliative Care Standards.
Dr Grindrod believes that, in times of serious illness, many people struggle to ask for and coordinate support. But with the HELP app, the couple’s friends and extended family came together to assist with lawn mowing, meals, walking the dog and emotional support.
“The benefits ripple beyond the immediate family. You’re not only getting the practical and social support you desperately need, you’re giving people who love and care for you the opportunity to support you. It’s a game changer.”
Palliative care specialist Sonya Imbesi has seen the app’s impact firsthand.
“A friend’s dad was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, and I suggested the app to help coordinate his care, as he now requires 24/7 support. I’m currently part of the network on the app, and I’ve seen firsthand how much it’s helping. People are expressing how grateful they are to be involved in his care and to receive updates. The HELP app is making a huge difference.”
La Trobe University’s HELP framework is grounded in a public health approach to end-of-life care. It promotes death and grief as natural life processes, supports health planning and seeks to reduce stigma around serious illness. It encourages shared responsibility between individuals, communities, and care organisations.
Dr Grindrod said Dying To Know Day, on 8 August, is a timely reminder that care at the end of life must be more than clinical.
“Community support is often the missing piece in most care models. The HELP app bridges that gap in palliative care at a time when families and carers are under stress and can feel isolated.”
With funding from The Wicking Trust and support from Palliative Care Australia, the HELP app is freely available via the Apple or Google Play stores by searching “Healthy End of Life Planning”.
As part of La Trobe’s broader $170 million Health Innovation Strategy, the app also contributes to Australia’s first Care Economy Cooperative Research Centre – a ten-year, $129 million initiative uniting 60 organisations to tackle skills shortages and transform care technology and data solutions across the country.
By giving people the tools and confidence to ask for help, and by making it easy for others to offer it, the HELP app offers more than just convenience – it creates connection, compassion, and shared strength in life’s most difficult moments.
