Palliative Care (home)

Palliative Care provides an interdisciplinary palliative care service which includes nursing, pastoral care, grief & bereavement, medical and volunteer services.

Community Palliative Care provides secondary consultation to GP's for complex care of pain and symptoms (see services provided)

The focus of Community Palliative Care is to provide quality of life, to end-of-life care. Palliative care is an adjunct to ongoing treatment and can be delivered from diagnosis to bereavement.

People with dementia are often referred to palliative care in relation to another co-morbidity (cancer, heart/lung failure etc). Ensure people with dementia have the same access to palliative care services as others.

Services provided

  • Specialist nursing care of complex symptom management in the home. Complex symptom management includes:
    • physical e.g. gastro-intestinal, respiratory and pain
    • psychological e.g. cognitive and emotional
    • social
    • cultural
    • spiritual
  • Discussion about goals of care and support available at home, advance care planning, prognosis, effective symptom control or admission of a terminally ill patient to hospital
  • Palliative Care services available 24 hrs per day.
  • Information and advice to GPs, on challenging issues such as:
    • ethical dilemmas of nutrition and hydration
    • management of depression and other symptoms
    • spiritual issues, and concerns held by the patient relatives and staff toward the end of life
  • Home visits with frequency negotiated between nursing staff and patient / family on an on-going basis *Nursing care may be shared with the community nurse in your area.
  • Equipment Loan - A range of equipment is available for free loan. This includes wheelchairs, commodes, hospital beds and other equipment to assist in home care. All requests subject to availability of equipment at the time)
  • Pastoral and Bereavement Care - Available as desired by the patient and family. The bereavement follow up program offers support to the family for up to twelve months.
  • Inpatient Admission - If inpatient care is required, community palliative care staff can help facilitate
  • Support Service - Volunteer Support is available for both patient and family in its daily activities. Support is offered in the following areas:
    • Ongoing bereavement support
    • Companionship for the care giver
    • Day sitting with the patient
    • Shopping / errands, etc.
    • Assistance with transport

Triggers for Referral

  • Patients experience a rapid increase of previously stable symptoms or experience a new problem that was not anticipated in the existing plan[1]
  • Patients experience pain or symptoms not responsive to established management
  • Family/carers circumstances change suddenly impacting on patient care and requiring urgent intervention by members of interdisciplinary team
  • Family/carers experience gradually worsening distress and other difficulties, including social and practical difficulties that impact on the patient care
  • Complex grief and bereavement

Full Contact Details

South East Palliative Care
Cranbourne Integrated Care

Phone: 03 5991 1300
Fax: 03 5991 1301

Referral form:

Both referral forms need to be completed:

SEPC referral form
South Eastern Palliative Care - Clinical Referral

McCulloch House Supportive and Palliative Care Unit
Monash Medical Centre Clayton

Phone: 03 9594 5320

Referral form:

GPs can call and speak to the Consultant at any time but cannot refer directly.

Eastern Health Palliative Care

Phone: 1300 130 813
Fax: 03 9873 0919

Peninsula Hospice Service

Phone: 03 9783 6177
Fax: 03 9770 2798

West Gippsland Healthcare Group
Warragul

Phone: 03 5623 0870
Fax: 03 5623 0626

Referals: Use SCTT tool

 

PCOC Assessment Toolkit: Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration 2012