When should I seek palliative care?
Palliative care should begin when a person needs it.
This may be at diagnosis of a terminal illness or this may be later in the course of the
illness.
It is important to note that a person can receive palliative care:
Who Do I contact for a referral?
You may request palliative care from any health professional who cares for you. Often your GP or specialist or community nurse is a good starting point. They may talk to you about palliative care and support as one option for ongoing professional care and support.
Is palliative care only for people with cancer?
No. Palliative care is available to people irrespective of disease eg.end stage organ failure (e.g.. respiratory, cardiac, renal, liver disease), neurological disease such as Motor Neurone Disease, HIV/AIDS and end stage dementia.
How long can a patient receive palliative care for?
There is no limit on how long a patient can receive palliative care. However, as with all service requirements, care is provided by the most appropriate service for the requirements of the patient and family at the time.
Asking Questions Can Help
Palliative Care Australia produced this booklet listing some of the questions
that may be relevant to your need. It is understandable there may be topics that you do not want to read about at the moment.
We suggest you read the headings first and then decide whether you wish to read the questions about that topic.