Palliative Care

End of life care

It is one of the certainties of life that one day, each of us, will pass away. For some, circumstances may exist where we can, with our families and friends, make the necessary preparations and seek to be as comfortable as possible during this final stage of life.

The death of a loved one is not an easy subject to deal with but there are services and support to assist in what is often an emotionally challenging and stressful time.

What is palliative care?

Palliative care is a particular type of end of life care. It is provided for people who have an advanced illness, with little or no prospect of cure. The aim of palliative care is to achieve the best possible quality of life for the person, their family and carers. It focuses on ‘living’ well until death.

Some of the more common illnesses of people requiring palliative care include: cancer, HIV/AIDS, motor neurone disease, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis and end-stage dementia.

For more information, refer to the Australian Government Dept. of Health’s website: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/palliative-care-and-end-of-life-care