Finding out you have a serious illness, that cannot be cured and will limit your life, can be overwhelming and stressful. Our primary goal is to support you in preserving your dignity, independence, control over your life, and connections to those who matter to you. We are committed to providing assistance that aligns with your values.
Access to relevant information on navigating life with a life-limiting illness is crucial for gaining an understanding of the available options. In such situations, our focus is on optimising your quality of life by:
- Good symptom management and control
- Helping you maintain your independence for as long as possible
- Supporting your emotional, spiritual and cultural wellbeing
- Supporting your carer and/or family
- Planning for the future
It is important to know that care at the end of life can be provided for a few days, weeks, months or extended over several years and is available for everyone regardless of age, background, culture, beliefs or where you live. End of life care aims to help manage any symptoms and enhance your quality of life.
What is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is a compassionate and holistic approach to supporting you and your loved ones during times of serious illness.
Our primary goal is to enhance your quality of life by addressing not only the physical symptoms but also the emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of your well-being. Palliative care is provided by a team of dedicated professionals, including doctors, nurses, allied health, and other specialists, who work together to create a personalised plan that aligns with your unique needs and preferences.
We focus on relieving pain and discomfort, improving your ability to carry out everyday activities, and offering emotional support for you and your family.
Our aim is to empower you to make informed decisions about your care, ensuring that you receive the support and comfort necessary to live as fully as possible, regardless of the stage of your illness.
When you might need Palliative Care services
Some medical conditions where people may require care at the end of life that focuses on quality of life include:
- Cancer
- Advanced lung, heart, kidney and liver disease
- Neurological conditions such as Motor Neurone Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Stroke, and other neurological conditions
- Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease
- Huntington’s disease
- Muscular dystrophy
- HIV/AIDS
- Other degenerative or deteriorating conditions relating to aging
Who will provide care?
You may have a range of people who provide care at the end of life including:
- Doctors, including specialist doctors and General Practitioners
- Nurses, including general and specialised nurses in hospitals, community, palliative care services
- Allied health professionals including Aboriginal Health Workers/Practitioners, Physiotherapists, Dietitians, Occupational Therapists, Pharmacists, Psychologists, Social Workers, Speech Pathologists
- Support workers such as Diversional Therapists, Assistants in Nursing
- Pastoral carers/Chaplains from different religious, spiritual and cultural backgrounds
- Volunteers
Planning ahead
There are probably many things you are thinking about that you may wish to address. An important part of planning ahead is to plan early for future health and care decisions. This can be addressed through a process called Advance Care Planning. This can help you identify and communicate your preferences, values and beliefs so your health care team can care for you in line with your wishes.
Advance Care Plans can be documented as an Advanced Care Directive (ACD), which is entirely voluntary and is helpful to do before an urgent issue arises. An ACD is useful to help guide your health care team with future decision making if you cannot make or communicate your decisions. Planning for the end, the last hours and days of life, can help provide your care team with what is important to you at this time.
We have created a printable guide to help you plan.
How do I get a referral to the service?
The ISLHD community palliative care team accepts referrals for complex ongoing care in the home for patients with a life limiting diagnosis who wish to focus on quality of life, symptom management and would like support for carers and/or families.
Not all patients referred to the specialist community palliative care team require input from the entire service and may be better suited for review by a specialist symptom management clinic.
Referrals should be made by a medical practitioner, whether it's your GP (General Practitioner), a medical specialist, or a Nurse Practitioner (NP). When a referral is received, it is assessed by our team and if you are eligible for the service an appointment will be made to either visit you in your home or offer you an appointment in our clinic.
When your referral has been received by the service you will be contacted by our team to obtain your consent. For your consent to be valid, you must:
- Have the legal capacity to consent
- Give your consent voluntarily
- Have enough information about your condition, treatment options, the benefits and risks relevant to them, and alternative options for you to make an informed decision to consent. This includes the opportunity to ask questions and discuss concerns
Our team will then ask you further questions to see what services we can offer.
If you do not consent to our services we will write to your treating medical practitioner and let them know.