What is Palliative Care?
What is Palliative Care?
When an illness cannot be cured, the focus of care changes to helping people to have the best quality of life possible while managing their symptoms. Palliative care concentrates on maintaining quality of life by addressing physical symptoms, such as pain, nausea, shortness of breath etc. It also helps with emotional, social and spiritual needs. Palliative care services support the person who is ill, as well as their carers and family.
Who is Palliative Care for?
Palliative care can be introduced at the time of diagnosis, during the course of the illness, at the end of life and in bereavement. Palliative care can be given alongside treatments provided by other doctors or services. Palliative care may increase, reduce or stop, as your needs change. It is not limited to the last days or weeks of life.
Where is Palliative Care provided?
Palliative care is provided in the home, residential aged care facilities, hospitals and other health care centres.
What does Palliative Care offer?
The palliative care service provides home visit palliative care consultation, offering advice, support and assistance to people to help make informed choices about care options.
Palliative care services offer:
- Specialist palliative care assessments;
- Care coordination;
- Symptom support, advice and management;
- Practical support for everyday activities;
- Equipment loans;
- Individual and family emotional support;
- Bereavement care; and
- After hours telephone advice from specialists palliative care nurses.
Palliative Care Team includes:
- Specialist Palliative Care Nurses
- Bereavement support workers
- Family Support workers
- Volunteers and Volunteer Coordinators
- The teams work closely with other health professionals including (but not limited to) Physicians, GP’s and District Nurses.
- The teams are supported by the East Hume Consultancy Palliative Care Service, the Goulburn Region Palliative Care Consultancy Service and St Vincent’s Health Specialist Palliative Care Physicians.
How can I access the Palliative Care service?
You and your family can contact the service directly or be referred by your GP or other healthcare provider. The person being referred must consent to the referral and the involvement of their local GP to support care needs.
If you are not sure if palliative care is for you, call your nearest palliative care service or GP for a discussion and advice.
Download our brochure: Palliative Care brochure Hume Region
Information about palliative care is available in languages other than English on the Palliative Care Victoria website.
Community Palliative Care Services in the Hume Region
Services provided in the Shires of Alpine, Benalla, Greater Shepparton, Indigo, Mansfield, Mitchell, Moira, Murrindindi, Strathbogie, Towong, Wangaratta and Wodonga.
Benalla Palliative Care Service
Benalla Health
Ph: (03) 5761 4207
Fax: (03) 5761 4211
www.benallahealth.org.au
Goulburn Valley Hospice Care Service
Ph: (03) 5822 0068
Fax: (03) 5831 6570
www.gvhospice.com.au
Lower Hume Palliative Care Service
Seymour Health
Ph: (03) 5735 8070
www.seymourhealth.org.au
Moira Palliative Care Service
NCN Health
Ph: (03) 5862 0558
Fax: (03) 5862 0569
www.ncnhealthservices.org.au
NHW Palliative Care Service
Northeast Health Wangaratta
Ph: (03) 5722 5184
Fax: (03) 5722 5419
www.northeasthealth.org.au
Wodonga Palliative Care Service
Albury Wodonga Health
Ph: (02) 6051 7423
Fax: (02) 6058 4314
www.awh.org.au
For further information:
Palliative Care Victoria including the Victorian palliative care service search directory