Palliative care is person and family-centred care provided for a person with an active, progressive, advanced disease
Palliative care is person and family-centred care provided for a person with an active, progressive, advanced disease. The person is expected to die of this disease, and the primary goal is to optimise the quality of their life.
How can palliative care help me and my family?
Palliative care can help with symptom control, for example, pain, nausea, constipation, breathlessness, and many others.
We can help plan for your future care.
Community palliative care teams can often provide a phone number to call 24/7 to ask for help or advice for patients at home.
We can help provide information, and with decision making. We can help coordinate the care you receive and access to equipment you need.
Where can I have palliative care?
Palliative care can often be provided alongside care by your other treating teams.
There are four main locations:
- In your home, or in a residential care facility, you can get visits from a community palliative care team.
- You might be able to see our team as an outpatient, for example by visiting an outpatient clinic in a hospital
- You can be seen by a consultation team while you are an inpatient in a hospital, being looked after by another team like the acute medical team or oncology team
- You can be looked after by our team in an inpatient palliative care bed in a hospital or hospice.
How can I get palliative care?
If the person needing palliative care is at home or in a residential care facility, you can ask your General Practitioner (GP) to make a referral.
You can contact your local community palliative care team by using the Palliative Care Australia service directory and looking for “specialist palliative care provider” for your postcode.
If you or the person you are caring for is in a hospital, ask your treating team doctor for a referral to the palliative care consultation service.
What about palliative care for children?
Specialist palliative care services are also available for children.
CanTeen is here for you if you are 12-25 and your world has been turned upside down by cancer.
The child’s parent or loved one has cancer
CanTeen is here for you if you are 12-25 and your world has been turned upside down by cancer.
Is there information for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people?
Absolutely. We warmly welcome referrals for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to our services.
