Palliative care
The Cancer Council WA supports palliative and hospice care for people living with a life limiting or terminal illness like cancer or organ failure.
Palliative and hospice care is an approach that improves quality of life for patients and their families facing problems often associated with living with a terminal illness.
We encourage you to contact the Cancer Council WA Cancer Helpline on 13 11 20 or Palliative Care WA Inc on 1300 551 704 during business hours with any questions.
- How can palliative care help you?
- Do you want to learn more about palliative care and what it means for your care, or the care of someone close to you?
- Is palliative care only for people who are just about to die?
- Will it help to talk about your situation?
- Do you need to contact a palliative or hospice care service provider?
- Do you want to find out more about palliative care services in Perth (metro Western Australia)?
- Do you want to find out more about palliative care services in country Western Australia?
- Do you want to help someone with a life-limiting illness?
- Do you need support as a carer for someone with a life limiting illness?
- Do you want more information about your palliative care medications?
- Has someone close to you recently died?
- Do you need to write a will?
- Do you need to organise a funeral?
- Do you need help managing your finances and legal affairs?
- Do you want more general information about palliative care, or to access detailed information resources about palliative care?
- Do you want to find out more about 'living wills', Advance Health Directives and Enduring Powers of Guardianship?
How can palliative care help you?
- If you, or someone you know, has been diagnosed with a life limiting or terminal illness like cancer or organ failure, palliative care (sometimes known as ‘hospice care') can help prevent and relieve suffering by treating pain and other problems, physical, emotional, social and spiritual.
- Palliative care service providers can also assist if you are the carer or family member of a person with a life limiting or terminal illness, helping organise income support, bereavement support, equipment etc, depending on what's needed.
- The overall aim is to help you achieve your individual goals in life and in care.
- You can learn more about palliative and end of life care at Palliative Care WA Inc.
Do you want to learn more about palliative care and what it means for your care, or the care of someone close to you?
- As a first step, it is often helpful to talk to your usual doctor or care team about palliative care.
- Palliative Care WA Inc can also provide general information about palliative care and available services - call the office during business hours on 1300 551 704.
- The Cancer Helpline 13 11 20 can also help.
- You can learn more about palliative and end of life care at Palliative Care WA Inc.
- Information is also available at Hospice.net, an online resource.
Is palliative care only for people who are just about to die?
- Palliative care is not only for people who are just about to die.
- Many people benefit from early input from a palliative care team, often while curative therapy continues, in order to access additional resources and expertise, help with care planning and meeting particular needs of a person or their family.
- In most cases the palliative care team will work closely with a person's existing doctors and care team throughout the person's journey.
- The palliative care team may only have intermittent or minimal contact with the person, depending on their needs.
Will it help to talk about your situation?
- Clear communications are vital if you have been diagnosed with a life limiting or terminal illness.
- Concealing information, whether you are the sick person or a family member of the sick person, or a health care provider, often causes major problems.
- Talking about your problems or concerns with your family, friends or health care team can lead to good solutions and can help you feel better.
- Give yourself and those close to you time and space to discuss difficult issues without interruptions.
- If you need a guide to talking with your doctor about your situation, Palliative Care Australia publishes Asking Questions Can Help.
- If your family member, friend or work colleague has been diagnosed with a life limiting or terminal illness, Palliative Care Australia publishes What Can I Say, What Can I Do? and has created the Living Caring Working website.
- The Cancer Council WA publishes How to talk to someone with cancer and Coping with Cancer - contact the Cancer Helpline on 131 120 to order copies or download from this site.
Do you need to contact a palliative or hospice care service provider?
- The specific nature of your problems (if any), your strengths and limitations, and those of your carers, family and friends, will affect the sort of care and support offered by service providers.
- Only some people need to access services from a palliative care or hospice service.
- As a first step, it is often helpful to talk to your usual doctor or care team about palliative care.
- Most palliative care or hospice services need a referral from your doctor.
- Visit the Palliative Care Australia National Palliative Care Service Directory
Do you want to find out more about palliative care services in Perth (metro Western Australia)?
- Services are generally provided free of charge through the public health system - there are private options available.
- Silver Chain Hospice Care Service (08 9242 0242) provides palliative care services in the community. You will need a referral from your doctor.
- Inpatient palliative care beds are located in different places around the city for those who need them. Talk with your usual doctor (or community palliative care team) about how to access services.
- Most major hospitals in Perth have palliative care teams on site - ask your usual care team about arranging a consultation.
- The Independent Living Centre of WA can help you source equipment: 1300 885 886.
Do you want to find out more about palliative care services in country Western Australia?
- Services are generally provided free of charge through the public health system - there are private options available in some locations.
- Each of the regional health services in rural Western Australia provides palliative care services at your local office or visit the Palliative Care Australia National Palliative Care Service Directory
- Silver Chain (08 9242 0242) provides palliative care services in the community in some country locations.
- The Independent Living Centre of WA can help you source equipment 1300 885 886
Do you want to help someone with a life-limiting illness?
- Providing care and support for people with a life limiting illness, their carers and families, is a broader community responsibility - the health system can't do it all!
- Palliative Care Australia publishes a very helpful pamphlet entitled What Can I Say, What Can I Do?
- Cancer Council WA has the I Want to Help brochure
- The Living Caring Working website also has lots of helpful tips and information
Do you need support as a carer for someone with a life limiting illness?
- Palliative care service providers can help organise support for the carer of someone with a life limiting or terminal illness.
- Additional support for carers is available from Carers WA 1300 227 337
- If you need respite services: Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centres:
1800 052 222 (free call) during business hours or, for emergency respite support outside standard business hours, call 1800 059 059 (free call)
Do you want more information about your palliative care medications?
- As a first step, it is often helpful to talk to your usual doctor or care team about palliative care medications.
- The Australian Government has listed many medicines commonly used in palliative care on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule - this means that the drugs are available to you at reduced prices.
- If you are having difficulty paying for your medications, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about ways of saving money on your medicines.
- Morphine is a safe and effective pain medication for many people - Palliative Care Australia publishes a brief brochure about the use of morphine and other medications in palliative care, Facts about morphine and other opioid medicines in palliative care.
- Make sure you discuss any complementary or alternative therapies with your doctor before you start them.
Has someone close to you recently died?
- Everybody experiences the loss of someone close to them differently - there is no right or wrong way to respond.
- You may have new or unpredictable feelings including sadness, anger, anxiety, relief or guilt - these are normal and will probably subside over time.
- You may feel disinclined to see friends or family or go to work, life may seem disorganised, it might be difficult to eat or sleep or concentrate, you might have worrying dreams - these are normal responses and will probably subside over time.
- It can be helpful to spend time with trusted friends or advisers to express in some way what you are experiencing.
- More practical information and advice is available at GriefLink.
Do you need to write a will?
- A will outlines what should happen to your personal property after you die.
- If your affairs are simple, you can use a will kit from a newsagent.
- In most cases it is wise to consult a trusted adviser - a lawyer or accountant - about your will - some lawyers or accountants will visit you at home.
- You should not use a will to record your wishes for care or treatment while you are still alive.
Do you need to organise a funeral?
- Planning your funeral in advance, and letting the people around you know about it, can prevent confusion or conflict after your death, and ensures your personal wishes met.
- Check the Yellow Pages under Funeral Directors to contact someone in your area for a confidential discussion.
Do you need help managing your finances and legal affairs?
- If you are unable to manage your own finances and legal affairs, you may need to complete an Enduring Power of Attorney to nominate a trusted person who can do this on your behalf.
- There is more information about Enduring Powers of Attorney available at the WA Office of the Public Advocate.
- The Cancer Council WA has a financial and legal advice service - call the Cancer Helpline on 13 11 20 for details.
Do you want more general information about palliative care, or to access detailed information resources about palliative care?
- World Health Organisation definitions of palliative care and palliative care for children (part of the United Nations)
- Palliative Care Australia (national peak body for palliative and end of life care) - and microsites
- Palliative Care WA Inc (WA peak body for palliative and end of life care)
- Caresearch (pages for people with life limiting or terminal illnesses, carers, family and friends)
Do you want to find out more about 'living wills', Advance Health Directives and Enduring Power of Guardianship?
Western Australians with full legal decision-making capacity are able to complete an Advance Health Directive (commonly known as a living will) to specify the sort of medical treatments they want (or don't want) when they are no longer able to make or communicate their own decisions. The WA Department of Health website has information about Advanced Health Directives or call the Departartment on (08) 9222 2300.
Western Australian with full legal decision-making capacity are able to appoint a person who can make medical treatment decisions on their behalf when they are no longer able to make or communicate their own decisions. The Office of the Public Advocate has information about Enduring Power of Guardianship or call on 1300 858 455.
Note that under the provisions of the WA Guardian and Administration Act your pre-existing common law advance health directive continues to be effective until or unless it is revoked or superceded.
