Current location
You are here: help with health > help with health conditions > Palliative care > help for people receiving end-of-life care > help for people receiving palliative careHelp with health
Help for people receiving palliative care
Who provides palliative care?
Care and support for people who have a progressive life limiting illness requires the skills of many people – a team that may include:- doctors, including general practitioners, palliative care specialists, and other specialist physicians
- nurses, including general and specialised nurses in the community, hospitals and palliative care units
- other health experts, including social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, pharmacists, dieticians and speech pathologists
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander health workers
- volunteers
- support workers, including nurse assistants, personal care attendants and diversional therapists (more information)
- bereavement counsellors
- spiritual advisers from different pastoral, spiritual and cultural backgrounds
- workers who have language skills and knowledge of various cultures, and
- therapists skilled in music, massage, aromatherapy, or colour.
Family members are themselves important members of the team. In particular, where a person is cared for at home, the family provides much of the hands-on care.
Where is the best place to receive palliative care?
Palliative care is flexible and can be provided at home with the help of community organisations, or in a hospital or hospice or in an aged care home. You and your family can choose between these options according to your particular needs and what sort of palliative care is available in your area.Home
Many people prefer to have their last days at home in a familiar and more comfortable environment. Here are some of the advantages of receiving palliative care at home:- you’ll receive support from members of a local palliative care team who will visit your home to offer professional help and support, including assessment of symptoms and pain as well as providing pain relief
- home care provides a comfortable, private, informal setting for carers, family members and friends – an environment where they can easily spend time together, share memories and express their feelings, and
- home care means the carer does not have to spend time travelling to be with the person who is ill.
Hospital
Here are some of the advantages of receiving palliative care in a hospital:- some hospitals can give direct access to palliative care doctors, nurses and specialists in pain and symptom control
- hospital staff can assess symptoms and pain, as well as providing pain relief, and
- some hospitals have a special palliative-care unit.
Hospice
Here are some of the advantages of receiving palliative care in a hospice:- a hospice has hospital facilities in a home-like setting
- it also has staff who specialise in palliative care and can offer an alternative to home or hospital
- the hospice can be used for short periods of time to help control pain and symptoms, or to enable the carer to take a break from caring, and
- a hospice has a less structured routine and a comforting environment, often with more privacy than a hospital.
Aged care homes
Palliative care in aged care homes aims to give the resident the best possible quality of life. In fact, the approach of some aged care homes reduces the need to move residents to another location such as a hospital or hospice. This allows the resident receiving care and their family to stay in their familiar environment and to feel supported, safe and comfortable.Also, accreditation standards (more information) of aged care homes makes them responsible for ensuring that symptoms such as pain are managed, and that the comfort and dignity of the resident is maintained at all times.
Read more: Palliative care in aged care homes
There is a lot of material that you can read about palliative care. One section of our website has plenty of information that you can download for free.
Read more: On palliative care resources
Common questions on this topic:
See all common questions