Psychosocial Care
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Psychosocial Care

Psychosocial care supports the emotional, social, and spiritual wellbeing of older people, their family or carers. It can help people cope with changes and concerns as they approach the end of life. You play a key role in maintaining connections, encouraging emotional expression, and providing comfort through familiar routines or beliefs. Understanding cultural and personal differences helps make your care more sensitive and meaningful, improving quality of life for older people.


What I can do

To build meaningful relationships with older people you can:

  • Take the time to listen and understand their life stories, preferences, and values
  • Use open-ended questions to explore their feelings and concerns
  • Encourage participation in social activities to foster connection and support discussions about what matters most to them.

As part of everyday care, you can support emotional wellbeing by:

  • Offering your attention without rushing
  • Providing reassurance and kindness, particularly in times of distress or uncertainty
  • Observing verbal and non-verbal cues—changes in mood, withdrawal from activities, or expressions of distress - and discussing concerns with the team.

Open-ended questions about values and priorities can help people express concerns and build trust. You can ask:

  • ‘What’s been important to you throughout your life?’
  • ‘How have you been feeling about the changes in your care or routine?’
  • ‘Who are the people or activities that bring you joy?’

Assessment tools can help you identify and respond to psychosocial needs. Get familiar with the:


What I can learn

The palliAGED Practice Tips give helpful guidance on supporting older people with psychosocial care near the end of life. There is a version for nurses as well as one for careworkers.

You can also read the related palliAGED Improving Care pages on:

To better understand the emotional and social concerns of people with serious illness, try the Caring for a patient's mental state modules (25-40 mins) from End-of-Life Essentials. While these are designed for hospitals, they can also apply to aged care.

Read the following topics in the Therapeutic guidelines: Palliative Care book (Subscription required):

  • Emotional, psychological and behavioural symptoms in palliative care
  • Family support in palliative care.

What I can give

If an older person, their family or carer wishes to know more about psychosocial care, these resources may help:


What I can suggest

Create spaces and opportunities for meaningful connection by:

  • Designating quiet areas for private conversations and reflection
  • Establishing a befriending program where trained volunteers provide companionship and end-of-life support.

To strengthen staff skills in psychosocial care you might:

  • Provide communication training to help staff recognise and respond to emotional and social needs
  • Include psychosocial competencies in recruitment and role descriptions.

Improve access to specialised psychosocial support by:

  • Maintaining a directory of psychologists, social workers, and counsellors for referrals
  • Arranging visits from specialised support workers when needed.


Page updated 27 February 2025