Health Conversation Navigator
Plan a caring talk about someone's health
How this tool worksPlan a caring conversation with someone facing a health problem, or someone caring for them, from your first words to how you'll keep supporting them.Hide
Plan a caring conversation with someone facing a health problem, or someone caring for them, from your first words to how you'll keep supporting them.
Use it when
Use it when someone close to you has had a diagnosis, lives with a long-term or mental health condition, is recovering, or is caring for someone, and you want to help without taking over. It suits family, partners, friends and colleagues, and works best a day or two before you plan to talk.
How to use it
- Describe the situation. Pick the kind of health situation, then note what's going on and how it's affecting them.
- Think about you and them. Choose your relationship, how you usually get on and how they tend to handle hard topics.
- Choose an approach. Pick compassionate, practical, balanced or respectful, and jot down why it suits them right now.
- Plan the conversation. Decide when and where, write your opening line, and list what you most want to say and ask.
- Plan support over time. Note the specific help you can offer, your limits, how often you'll check in and how you'll look after yourself.
- Keep your plan. Read it back on one page, then copy it or download it to keep it somewhere safe.
What you'll come away with
A one-page plan for the conversation and the months after it: your opening words, the points and questions that matter most, specific offers of help, your limits and a check-in rhythm. It links to the matching What to say situation and to Rehearse, so you can try your opening out loud.
Before you start
You'll plan one conversation with someone facing a health problem, or with someone caring for them. It takes five short steps. Nothing you type is saved unless you turn on the option below, so copy or download your plan at the end.
Keep these in mind
- Let them lead. They decide what to share and when.
- Listen before advising. Understand how it is for them first.
- Back their choices, even ones you wouldn't make.
- Look after yourself too, so you can keep showing up.
- Leave medical advice to professionals. Their own GP, doctor or treating team is the place for health questions.
Get help now, not later, if
- they talk about suicide or harming themselves
- there's a medical emergency
- you suspect abuse or neglect in their care
- a mental health crisis is more than you can safely support
If you're in immediate danger, call your local emergency number now. If you're not sure what it is, your phone's emergency dialler lists it. The lines below are for the countries this app serves.
Crisis Support Resources
Showing Australia. If that is not where you are, tap your country above.
Emergency Services
Triple Zero (000)
For life-threatening emergencies