I am a Patient
I am a Patient
National Palliative Care Service Directory
Palliative care will help you manage your illness, particularly pain and symptoms so you can continue to live life as well as you can while dealing with your illness. Palliative care can help at any time from a diagnosis of a life-limiting illness and is available to people of all ages. Sometimes people receive palliative care while they are also accessing curative treatment for their illness. Palliative care will help you manage the journey of a life-limiting illness to maximise your quality of life until death. The amount of time on this journey will vary from person to person. Palliative care will also support your loved ones in their caring role and also in grief and bereavement.
For more information about paediatric palliative care, click here.
How do I get it?
Health professionals including General Practitioners and Allied Health Practitioners can provide a level of palliative care. If your symptoms become complex, you may benefit from a referral to a Specialist Palliative Care Service.
To find a service in your local area please visit the National Palliative Care Service Directory.
Palliative care is available to anyone with a life-limiting illness, not just cancer patients. People living with dementia, chronic conditions or degenerative conditions can access palliative care.
How much does it cost? and who provides it?
Most palliative care services are free, but there may be some costs associated with the care that you receive.
Palliative care is multidisciplinary team care – so care is shared between a range of providers from palliative medicine physicians and specialist palliative care nurses to General Practitioners, other nurses, allied health professionals, social workers and other professionals such as pharmacists and palliative care volunteers.
There are a lot of common misconceptions about palliative care. Click here to find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions.
Who will help my family when I am gone?
Palliative care also supports carers and family members. There are a number of support services for people who are grieving. There is information in the ‘I am a Carer’ section which will help your carer/s find information to help them.
For more information about palliative care and what it means to you, click on the links below. These pages are also available to download.
- What is palliative care?
- Advance care planning
- Asking questions can help
- Diabetes and palliative care – information for patients
- Directory of Services
- Discussion Starters
- Facts about morphine and other opioid medicines in palliative care
- Learn more about pain and pain management
- Palliative Care in Aged Care
- The dying process
- Understanding grief
The Healthy for Life Program (HELP) - a tool for compassion, coordination, and community
The Healthy for Life Program (HELP) aims to build capacity and connections between local communities and networks and health systems and professionals – with the person and family experiencing life and death at the centre.
Through the HELP App, a holistic approach can be developed to better support someone’s care and loved ones; a framework that wraps community and healthcare around the person living with terminal illness, while supporting loved ones and care providers.
Led by La Trobe University, with the support of the Victorian Department of Health, The Wicking Trust and Palliative Care Australia, HELP is a resource for patients, carers, and health professionals.
Find out more about this tool for compassion, coordination, and community – HERE.
Watch or listen to our Thursdays@3 podcast chat with Dr Andrea Grindrod from HELP – HERE.
