Palliative care

Palliative care is person and family-centred care that improves the quality of life of individuals and their families facing the challenges associated with life-threatening illness. It prevents and relieves suffering through the early identification, correct assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, whether physical, psychosocial or spiritual.  

Palliative care is different to end-of-life care. Palliative care can be received at any stage of your illness. You can continue treatment for your illness while you are having palliative care.   

End-of-life care is the care and services given to individuals and their families who are facing the end of their life, usually in their final weeks or months of life. End-of-life care is an important part of palliative care. 

Accessing palliative care

Palliative care is available to individuals of any age who have been diagnosed with a serious life limiting illness that cannot be cured, and that they are likely to die from.  

Palliative care assists people with illnesses such as cancer, motor neurone disease and end-stage kidney or lung disease to manage symptoms and improve quality of life. 

For some individuals, palliative care may be beneficial from the time of diagnosis with a serious life-limiting illness and can be given alongside treatments given by other doctors. 

Where possible, palliative care is provided where the individual and their family wants. This may include: 

• At home 
• In hospital 
• In a hospice or palliative care unit 
• In a residential aged care facility 

See our Health and Community Service Directory for useful information, supports and services when accessing palliative care.

ADVANCE CARE PLANNING

Advanced care planning involves you, your loved ones and health professionals talking about your values and the type of health care you would want to receive if you became seriously ill or injured and were unable to say what you want. This helps them make decisions about your care when you can’t.

Ideally these conversations start when you are well and then continue throughout your life.

Steps involved in advance care planning

1. Start by thinking about what you want. Then talk to your loved ones, these conversations can be difficult but are important, as it will let them know what your wished are.  
2. To formalise your advanced care plan, you can make an advanced care directive, which is a written form of advanced care plan.
3. You can add your advance care directive to your My Heath Record so it’s available to your treating doctors if ever needed.
4. Ensure you keep your advanced care plan up to date, it can be changed at any time if you wish.

Review the advanced care plan:

• When your preferences change
• When your medical condition changes
• If your substitute decision-maker (SDM) changes

To get more support and information on advance care planning go to Advance Care Planning

Useful resources to support patients with advance care planning

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has guidelines on Advance Care Planning. 

The SPICT™ tool (Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool) helps identify people with deteriorating health due to advanced conditions or a serious illness, and prompts holistic assessment and future care planning. 

Dementia Australia has developed the Start2Talk resources to assist with advance care planning. 

The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care provides an overview of advance care planning, including how to upload an Advance Care Directive to My Health Record. 

This NSW Health Information Booklet provides information to help you complete an Advance Care Directive. An Advance Care Directive form is provided at the end of the booklet, for you to complete and tear off. 

COMMUNITY PALLIATIVE CARE

South Eastern Sydney Local Health District: Prince of Wales Community Supportive Care Clinic,

St. George Community Supportive Care Clinic, Sutherland Supportive and Palliative Care Service, Calvary Specialist Palliative Care

Sydney Local Health District: Sydney District Nursing

Support for carers

Carer Gateway

Carers NSW 

Carer Help 

CURRENT PROJECTS

Greater Choice for At Home Palliative Care

The Greater Choice for At Home Palliative Care program, delivered through Primary Health Networks (PHNs), aims to design and implement innovative and locally appropriate initiatives that improve access to safe, quality palliative care at home. 

Current CESPHN initiatives include:

• A localised Health and Community Service Directory which aims to help people in the CESPHN region understand, navigate and access the palliative care services and supports available to them
• Raising awareness of palliative care in the CESPHN community
• Development of a Consumer Resource to help individuals navigate the diagnosis of a terminal or life-limiting illness
• Education for Residential aged care home staff and general practice nurses and doctors.