Palliative Care Self-Assessment (PaCSA)
For Specialist Palliative Care
Palliative Care Self-Assessment
A structured, self-paced approach to quality improvement
PaCSA is designed for specialist palliative care services to support continuous quality improvement.
Aligned with the nine National Palliative Care Standards, PaCSA provides a structured, self-paced approach that enables services and teams to assess current practices, identify gaps and prioritise areas for improvement.
Through the self-assessment process, PaCSA supports services to develop targeted action plans and strengthen the delivery of high-quality palliative and end of life care.
Start here: PaCSA How to Guide
Before beginning your self-assessment, start with the PaCSA How to Guide.
Palliative Care Self-Assessment Checklists
Each checklist aligns with relevant accreditation and service requirements, supporting services to gather evidence, document progress and demonstrate continuous improvement over time.
The checklists below can be downloaded individually and used at your own pace to support reflection, evidence gathering and ongoing quality improvement within specialist palliative care services.
Overview
Initial and ongoing assessment incorporates the person’s physical, psychological, cultural, social and spiritual experiences and needs.
Overview
The person, their family* and carers work in partnership with the team to communicate, plan, set goals of care and support informed decisions about the care plan.
* The term family includes people identified by the person as family. This may include people who are biologically related, however it may not. People who joined the family through marriage or other relationships, such as kinship, as well as the chosen family, street family for those experiencing homelessness, and friends (including pets) may identified by the person as family. A person may also choose to not have their family or carers involved in their care, or a person may not have any family or carers.
Overview
The needs and preferences of the person’s family* and carers are assessed, and directly inform provision of appropriate support and guidance about their role.
* The term family includes people identified by the person as family. This may include people who are biologically related, however it may not. People who joined the family through marriage or other relationships, such as kinship, as well as the chosen family, street family for those experiencing homelessness, and friends (including pets) may be identified by the person as family. A person may also choose to not have their family or carers involved in their care, or a person may not have any family or carers.
Overview
The provision of care is based on the assessed needs of the person, informed by evidence, and is consistent with the values, goals and preferences of the person as documented in their care plan.
Overview
Care is integrated across the person’s experience to ensure seamless transitions within and between services.
Overview
Families* and carers have access to bereavement support services and are provided with information about loss and grief.
* The term family includes people identified by the person as family. This may include people who are biologically related, however it may not. People who joined the family through marriage or other relationships, such as kinship, as well as the chosen family, street family for those experiencing homelessness, and friends (including pets) may be identified by the person as family. A person may also choose to not have their family or carers involved in their care, or a person may not have any family or carers.
Overview
The service has a philosophy, values, culture, structure and environment that supports the delivery of person-centred palliative and end-of-life care.
Overview
Services are engaged in quality improvement and research to improve service provision and development.
Overview
Staff and volunteers are appropriately qualified, are engaged in continuing professional development and are supported in their roles.
Watch the Virtual Workshop
Embedding the National Palliative Care Standards and PaCSA into Practice
This virtual workshop introduces the National Palliative Care Standards and demonstrates how PaCSA can support reflection and quality improvement in specialist palliative care as well as aged care and other specialities.
