PALLIATIVE CARE

Palliative care is aimed at optimising the quality of life for persons with an active, progressive, or advanced terminal disease.  Such care can be required for persons with (inter alia) cancer, kidney or lung diseases, or motor neurone disease.

While it is true that this palliative stage care can be met in a hospital or nursing home, it is widely recognised (and certainly our experience) that most people prefer to die at home rather than in a clinical setting.  A person’s home provides familiarity, comfort, privacy, and normal routines that admitted inpatient settings simply cannot.  With proper support and experienced carers, this can be a dignified and empowering process for the dying person and their family. 

Our occupational therapists can assist by assessing your functional status and providing case management and/or recommendations to ensure safety and comfort is maintained (as best as is possible) throughout the latter stages of your life.  We take a client and family centred approach to providing occupational therapy services, ensuring your and your loved one’s views and concerns are understood throughout the process.

Recommendations regarding assistive equipment, home modifications or commercial care and assistance, can be provided.  Our experienced occupational therapists can also help you learn how to best use any recommended or provided equipment and modifications.  As health deteriorates additional support may be required to manage symptoms, like fatigue, breathlessness, and pain. These symptoms can impact quality of life significantly. We can assist by prescribing techniques to help you relax, conserve your energy, and manage your pain. Advice can be delivered to address your or your loved one’s current status, and recommendations and planning can also be undertaken (collaboratively your medical team if required), to prescribe and/or manage the equipment, modifications, and/or care and assistance which can be required in the future.

Our occupational therapists work with you and your family, to equip you with practical occupational support throughout the end-of-life phases.

Depending on the services required, you can access our assistance through a range of funding sources.  These include private funding, NDIS funding (for self or planned managed participants), ACAT funding, or a Medicare funding (through a Chronic Disease Management Plan referral from your general medical practitioner).