Palliative Care Services

Palliative care is care that helps people live their life as fully and as comfortably as possible when living with a life-limiting or terminal illness. Palliative care identifies and treats symptoms which may be physical, emotional, spiritual or social. GPs, aged care and community services as well as specialist palliative care services may all provide care to people coming to the end of their life.

You should talk to your health care provider about palliative care as an option. Palliative Care Australia has information on palliative care and also has a directory of palliative care services you can search.

There are palliative care organisations in each state or territory who can provide you with local information.

Carer Services

Carer Gateway provides an extensive range of services and resources for carers. They include:

• Counselling
  The Carer Gateway Counselling Service is a free service for carers available from 8am to 6pm weekdays.
• Rural and remote services
  If you are a carer in a rural or remote area, there are many online and phone services available to help you.
• Respite care
  Respite helps you take a break by providing someone to look after the person needing care
• Home changes
  As a carer, you help the person you care for with many activities in and around the home. Small changes can make your environment safer.
• Financial Help You may be able to get payments and other financial support to help with your costs
• Carer Gateway also provides resources in different languages.

Equipment Services

Equipment Services Equipment can be important in enabling people to remain at home. Talk to the health care team about what is needed. Each state and territory has an equipment scheme. Equipment is usually loaned to you free or at low cost. These schemes are often means-tested (to see if you can pay for the service yourself or will need help), and some states have waiting lists for equipment.

The schemes are:

• Australian Capital Territory – Oxygen and Equipment Services
• New South Wales – Aids and Equipment Program
• Northern Territory – National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
• Queensland – Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme
• South Australia – Domiciliary Equipment Service
• Tasmania – TasEquip
• Victoria – Aids and Equipment Program
• Western Australia – Community Aids and Equipment Program

Grief and Loss Services

Grief and Loss Services When you are caring, you may feel grief not only about the expected loss of the person you are caring for but also losses associated with taking on the carer role. You may have given up or reduced you paid work, you may feel a loss of independence, and you may have less time for friends and a social life. You may also feel anxious with new responsibilities and the uncertainty of the future.

Carer Gateway offers a phone counselling service:

GriefLine provides an online support service from midday to 3am.