Palliative and Supportive Care
The goal of Palliative Care is to relieve suffering and to improve quality of life for people facing complex and life threatening illness. The Mater Palliative Care team aims to maximise quality of life by:
- providing good symptom control through the treatment of pain and other distressing symptoms
- offering psychological and social support and spiritual care
- providing practical support and care for individuals and their families and carers
- helping to plan for future care needs
- providing advice and education about treatments and medications to ensure optimal benefits
- coordination and referrals for community palliative care support
- short-term inpatient care and outpatient review
- liaising with Mater Oncology Services
- providing hospital–wide consultation
- providing end stage inpatient care
- providing access to bereavement support for carers and families
- providing advice to general practitioners.
Introducing the team
The aim of Palliative Care is to maximise the quality of the person’s life. This is achieved by coordinating and delivering a range of services in response to the individual needs of the person being cared for and their family and friends. We have a multidisciplinary team who are able to offer the following services.
Medical Director
Professor Janet Hardy
- provides inpatient medical support (public and private)
- outpatient review
- medical support for general practitioners, hospital medical staff
- chief Investigator for clinical research in palliative care.
Nursing
Clinical Nurse Consultant
Decima Jones
- coordination of services and referrals
- telephone advice
- advice and assistance with treatments, medications, pain management and symptom control
- support for patients and families
- advice regarding future care decisions
- link to community service providers
- advice to nursing and allied health professionals on Palliative Care issues, care needs and management.
Clinical Trials Coordinator
Angela O’Shea
- facilitate the transition of high quality studies through Human Research Ethics Committees
- collect important and accurate information to assist in the treatment of common distressing symptoms
- enhance the smooth succession of patients participating in clinical research
- educate nursing staff of research protocols and promote best evidence practice.
Ward 10B Nursing Staff
- provide after hours telephone support. This is accessed by telephoning Mater Health Services on 3163 8111 and asking to speak to the team leader on ward 10B
- provide inpatient nursing care for patients requiring palliative care and offers support to their families.
A referral to the Palliative Care Service is through a doctor or health care provider. However, patients and their families can contact the service personally to discuss their needs prior to obtaining a referral.
Palliative Care can begin from the first diagnosis of a terminal illness, as many palliative interventions/treatments are used to alleviate the side effects of treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The need for palliative care support may change through the course of the illness. For example, as the disease may respond to treatment so the need for palliative care input may decrease or be stopped until a further need arises.
Palliative Care Specialists are specifically trained in the area of pain management and controlling other distressing symptoms. These symptoms may include: nausea, vomiting, fatigue, constipation, shortness of breath, poor appetite, depression and other conditions associated with advanced cancer or illness.
Some valuable web sites for accessing palliative care information include: