Palliative care

• To empower and support the patient and family by providing relevant information and by involving them in all decision making in regard to care. This includes the site of care, whether it be at home, in an acute hospital or in residential aged care.
• To improve the quality of life of the patient by ensuring that they maintain their dignity and autonomy.
• To relieve pain and symptoms by accurate assessment and management by a team of health professionals.
• To assist patients and families to come to terms with the illness by supporting them to express their feelings, grieve their losses and address their concerns.
• To not hasten death nor prolong life inappropriately. 

We are a team who have different professional backgrounds, but who work together to provide care for the person, including their family and friends.

In addition to the Palliative Care team, we access other support services provided by both private and public institutions when required to cater for the specific needs of each individual.

Education
Individual and community education is provided by the members of the team in a range of forms, tailored to the needs of those requesting the service.

Equipment
Access to equipment for use in the home is available for clients on the Palliative Care program.

We can also help with:

Liaison between other care providers (eg.Metropolitan hospitals, chemotherapy units, home help etc) and coordination of these services to best meet the needs of the clients.

Consultation with our Social Workers about how to best manage any change in your financial circumstances, Centrelink or other assistance.

Please contact the Program Coordinator/Nurse Consultant for further information, on (03) 5667 5661.

Bereavement care
Bereavement care is provided to help the client and family to come to terms with their experiences of loss. This is an ongoing service, which continues to provide support after the death of a client, to all significant family and friends.