| Palliative Care
Palliative care is provided by a coordinated care team of specialist doctors, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, occupational therapists, counsellors, spiritual care workers and trained volunteer support workers. Its goal is to provide care and support so that people who are living with a life threatening condition can live as fully and comfortably as possible. The care and support addresses the physical, emotional, spiritual and social needs. It is available for people who have pain and distress associated with cancer, whatever their stage of cancer treatment. Sometimes your treating doctor involves the palliative care team early in the course of the disease because they have a certain expertise such as in pain management. Their involvement in your treatment will enhance your quality of life. Palliative care services work with you, your carers, your GP and medical treatment team - they do not take over all the care and treatment decisions. The amount of involvement will vary with individual circumstances.
Who is palliative care suitable for? Palliative Care is suitable for women with breast cancer who are receiving treatment which is:
Palliative Care also supports bereaved friends and families of
women who have chosen to receive the support offered by the Palliative
Care Service.
What does palliative care treatment involve? Palliative care involves:
Where is palliative care provided? Palliative care can be provided in the home, a hospital or a hospice setting. A hospice is a place that has hospital facilities but a homelike atmosphere, where specially trained staff care for people with incurable illnesses as inpatients. Many people go into an inpatient setting for a short time to have pain or other worrying symptoms brought under control or to give the person caring for them a break. Others may need to remain in the hospice for their care in the terminal phase of the illness. In Bendigo there is an inpatient hospice, but in other regional towns a special area in the hospital is set aside for palliative care where families are also welcome to stay and be involved in the care as they wish. To find our more about palliative care in the Loddon Mallee Region visit the Loddon Mallee Palliative Care Service web site.
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