Palliative Care (home)
Palliative Care provides an interdisciplinary palliative care service which includes nursing, pastoral care, grief & bereavement, medical and volunteer services.
Community Palliative Care provides secondary consultation to GP's for complex care of pain and symptoms (see services provided)
The focus of Community Palliative Care is to provide quality of life, to end-of-life care. Palliative care is an adjunct to ongoing treatment and can be delivered from diagnosis to bereavement.
People with dementia are often referred to palliative care in relation to another co-morbidity (cancer, heart/lung failure etc). Ensure people with dementia have the same access to palliative care services as others.
Services provided
- Specialist nursing care of complex symptom management in the home. Complex symptom management includes:
- physical e.g. gastro-intestinal, respiratory and pain
- psychological e.g. cognitive and emotional
- social
- cultural
- spiritual
- Discussion about goals of care and support available at home, advance care planning, prognosis, effective symptom control or admission of a terminally ill patient to hospital
- Palliative Care services available 24 hrs per day.
- Information and advice to GPs, on challenging issues such as:
- ethical dilemmas of nutrition and hydration
- management of depression and other symptoms
- spiritual issues, and concerns held by the patient relatives and staff toward the end of life
- Home visits with frequency negotiated between nursing staff and patient / family on an on-going basis *Nursing care may be shared with the community nurse in your area.
- Equipment Loan - A range of equipment is available for free loan. This includes wheelchairs, commodes, hospital beds and other equipment to assist in home care. All requests subject to availability of equipment at the time)
- Pastoral and Bereavement Care - Available as desired by the patient and family. The bereavement follow up program offers support to the family for up to twelve months.
- Inpatient Admission - If inpatient care is required, community palliative care staff can help facilitate
- Support Service - Volunteer Support is available for both patient and family in its daily activities. Support is offered in the following areas:
- Ongoing bereavement support
- Companionship for the care giver
- Day sitting with the patient
- Shopping / errands, etc.
- Assistance with transport
Triggers for Referral
- Patients experience a rapid increase of previously stable symptoms or experience a new problem that was not anticipated in the existing plan[1]
- Patients experience pain or symptoms not responsive to established management
- Family/carers circumstances change suddenly impacting on patient care and requiring urgent intervention by members of interdisciplinary team
- Family/carers experience gradually worsening distress and other difficulties, including social and practical difficulties that impact on the patient care
- Complex grief and bereavement
Full Contact Details
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South East Palliative Care Phone: 03 5991 1300 Referral form: Both referral forms need to be completed: SEPC referral form |
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McCulloch House Supportive and Palliative Care Unit Phone: 03 9594 5320 Referral form: GPs can call and speak to the Consultant at any time but cannot refer directly. |
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Eastern Health Palliative Care Phone: 1300 130 813 |
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Peninsula Hospice Service Phone: 03 9783 6177 |
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West Gippsland Healthcare Group Phone: 03 5623 0870 Referals: Use SCTT tool |
PCOC Assessment Toolkit: Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration 2012