Our new initiative that helps plan for the last stages of life

About Violet

What is Violet?

Violet is an online care platform that provides the information, resources and support to help people talk about, plan for and manage the last stages of life.

Why is it important to plan for the last stages of life?

Whether you're caring for someone you love (or planning for yourself) the last chapters of life can feel overwhelming—but they don’t have to.

Violet helps you create a thoughtful, simple, caring and complete plan - one that consolidates wishes, key documents, contacts, and other essential details—so you feel more organised, less stressed, and confident in your decisions.

What aspects of planning for the last stages of life can Violet help with?

Violet consists of 5 modules—each specifically designed to help you plan for, and manage, the last stages of life.

The modules include:

• Future care and wellbeing
• Emotional support
• Financial, legal and life matters
• Memory & legacy
• Funeral planning

plus, a range of other helpful resources, articles, and videos.

Violet also works with a network of trained Violet Guides—individuals with both professional training and personal lived experience. These guides offer one-on-one support programs to people in the last stages of life, their family members and carers.  

What is Teachers Health's relationship with Violet?

Teachers Health has launched a pilot project with Violet to conduct a small-scale trial of its online care platform. The pilot aims to gather user feedback, gain insights, identify areas for improvement and assess the program's feasibility for our members.

Violet is a separate organisation; Teachers Health has no ownership or other financial interest in Violet.

Why did you choose to work with Violet for this pilot?

We’re partnering with Violet for this pilot because their values align with our dedication to supporting the well-being of our members and their families, especially during life's final stages.

By 2032, it is estimated that 65,000 Australians will turn 85—five times today's number. Yet, Violet's research shows that just 14% of Australians have any plan for their final chapter.

What is Teachers Health’s role in the initiative?

We’re inviting our members to volunteer to test Violet’s beta platform. Their participation will help refine the platform and enhance accessibility to its services.

Who can participate in the Violet platform testing?

We’re looking for volunteers who: 

• Care for an elderly parent or loved one (or may do so in the future); or
• Have recently had a health event or diagnosis

They also should have paid up-to-date Teachers Health Hospital Cover and have served any waiting periods.      

How many volunteers do you need?

We’re looking for around 100 volunteers, so not everyone who registers their interest will be successful.

What are volunteers required to do?

Volunteers will be required to test the beta platform and provide feedback to help shape and improve the platform.

What’s involved in testing the platform?

Volunteers will engage in unsupervised product testing.

This means volunteers will gain full access to the platform to use at home. Activity will be tracked via an online tool and they’ll be encouraged to provide feedback on their experience including content, privacy comfort level, and overall user experience.

How long will the testing phase take?

Testing will take around six weeks and you should allow up to 4 hours of testing time. We’re looking to finish testing by the end of May 2025.

Where do volunteers test the platform?

Volunteers will be given online access to the Violet platform (to use on desktop or mobile). So, they can test at home, on the bus, or anywhere!

How much does it cost to become a participant?

Absolutely nothing! Volunteers will participate in the trial at no cost.

For our records, your participation will be noted as a no excess or out-of-pocket claim on your policy and will not affect your ability to claim other services.

Is the platform private?

To register your interest to participate, you will need to provide your first and last name, email address and policy number to Violet via the expression of interest form, and this will be shared with Teachers Health for the purpose of checking your eligibility and for evaluation. This information will not be input into the Violet platform.

A valid email address is the minimum requirement to log into the Violet platform. Your login will also have password protection.

At your first log in, you will be asked for your first name, gender and age and if you are participating as a carer for someone in the last stages of life, their first name and age. You can provide dummy information if preferred. All personal information you input into the Violet platform will not be shared with Teachers Health and will be managed according to Violet’s privacy terms and data security measures.

Additionally, volunteers can request Violet that their account and data be deleted at any time.

Violet may anonymise and combine your responses with others to share study results with Teachers Health and others.

How can I find out more?

If you’re interested in testing the Violet platform, please fill out an expression of interest form. The form is hosted on the Violet website (not ours), as they’ll run the selection process on our behalf. 

Please be aware that by completing the expression of interest form, the personal information you enter into the form will be collected and stored by Violet in accordance with their Privacy Policy and data security measures.

Your first name, last name, membership number and email collected in this form will also be shared to Teachers Health for the purposes of an eligibility check and evaluation, and will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Am I guaranteed a spot as a platform tester?

Not everyone who registers their interest will be guaranteed a spot as a platform tester. It will be first come, first served and we’ll only reach out to successful applicants.

What happens after my trial period ends?

Before the 12-month trial ends, Violet will reach out to see if you’re interested in continuing your registration. If you choose to continue, please note that Violet’s membership fees will apply.

Will Violet’s services be offered as part of my membership in the future?

We’re working with Violet to assess the program’s long-term feasibility for our members. At this stage, it’s too early to confirm whether it will be included in future memberships.