Palliative care aims to support people living with a terminal illness. The care focuses on supporting the person who has the illness as well as their family and friends. Palliative care concentrates on a person's quality of life by managing symptoms, and meeting a person's social, emotional and spiritual needs. It also provides advice, support and education to family and friends.
Leading the way in palliative care by working together with you for a better quality of life.
Foster a relationship between the patient, carer and health care professionals which enables trust in order to help understanding, have difficult conversations and identify life choices and wishes.
Aid teamwork (specialists, primary care and palliative care) that ensures communication, coordination and agreement of care to benefit the patient experience and improve clinical care.
Deliver a flexible and individual package of care that will offer the patient and carer different ways of meeting their needs and allow choice throughout the different stages of their journey.
Recognise and value the carer as part of the care team, and support the carer so that they are able to maintain their carer role as well as maintain their own health and wellbeing.
Consider the emotional, behavioural, spiritual and social environment that impact upon the physical wellbeing of the patient and carer.
Enable the patient's wishes with regard to end of life and increase the options and opportunities to die in their place of choice.
The Barwon Health Palliative Care Program provides care to patients and their families within the Barwon south west region.
Palliative Care Unit at the McKellar Centre a 15-bed facility providing high-quality patient and family orientated care, including pain and symptom management and bereavement support to family and friends.
Supportive care clinics (psychology, social work, grief and bereavement, and spiritual care): Improve relationships and reduce the impact of stress, pain and mental health difficulties, such as depression and anxiety.
Palliative care medical and nurse clinics: Provide comprehensive assessment and management of complex symptoms, and end of life care planning, for patients with advanced life-limiting illness.
The palliative care team uses a multidisciplinary team approach (meaning they represent a range of skills and clinical backgrounds) as we recognise you may have a range of clinical, spiritual, psychological, financial and social care needs.
The aim of the team is to ensure you are able to access services which are appropriate to you.
When to access Palliative Care Services?
Regardless of your level of need, the palliative care team is available to provide advice and support to you and other professionals involved in your care. Your general practitioner (GP) is an integral part of this team.
The Palliative Care service is accessed by means of a referral. A referral can be made by hospital staff, your GP or other specialist with your consent. Your family/carer can also refer or you can self-refer.
Hospital Based Consultancy Program: Specialist staff are available Monday to Friday 8am to 4.30pm.
Palliative Care Unit: is a specialist inpatient unit with staff available to provide care 24-hours a day, seven days per week.