Palliative care is “multi-disciplinary” and “holistic”. This means a patient and their family or carers should be able to access a range of specialised medical, nursing, allied health, pastoral care services and volunteer support.

In New South Wales, palliative care is provided by:

Palliative care specialists: doctors, nurses and allied health professionals
(occupational therapists, physiotherapists, dieticians, pastoral care workers, bereavement coordinators, social workers) who are either experienced in providing palliative care in their field, or who have undertaken further study and are formally qualified in palliative care or palliative medicine.

Generalist providers: General Practitioners (GPs), community nurses and allied health professionals who consult with palliative care specialists.

Inpatient (Hospice) and Community Palliative Care
Not everyone who is terminally ill will die in a palliative care in-patient unit
(formerly called a hospice). The lack of resources can mean relatively few beds, although help is usually available for those needing specialised care or pain management. Normally, a doctor's referral is necessary. Sometimes, if there are beds available, a person may be admitted for a short time to give their carer a break.

Many patients are cared for by family and friends in their own homes. Palliative care services can provide support (community palliative care) through home visits, and patients who are well enough can visit specialist clinics.

If family and friends are unable to provide this care, the patient may need admission to a hospital, a nursing home, or a specialist palliative care in-patient unit, formerly called a hospice. This admission may be for just a short time to give the carers a break, or may be for the terminal phase of the illness. Your local palliative care service can provide assessment and advice at this time. They also provide support to hospital staff and to nursing home staff so they can maintain quality care for terminally ill patients.

Palliative care services vary from area to area. Most services can offer:

  • expertise in pain and symptom management;
  • help with financial, employment, parenting and other issues which arise as a consequence of being diagnosed with a terminal illness;
  • emotional support for patients, families and carers;
  • inpatient care;
  • bereavement counseling for family and friends; and
  • referral to local community services such as home care, delivered meals, community transport and home-based respite care.
Last page Update:August 14, 2009