Palliative care offers sensitive and compassionate medical and supportive care for patients with a life limiting illness, their families and friends. Support is provided in the Hospital, the palliative care centre and at home.
Palliative care is provided for all people living with, and dying from a terminal condition and for whom the primary goal is quality of life.
Palliative care does not try to cure disease but aims to help you and your family improve your quality of life by addressing physical, practical, emotional and spiritual needs associated with your illness. It incorporates a range of services offered by medical, nursing and allied health professionals, as well as volunteers and informal carers.
Palliative care health professionals help to manage complex symptoms resulting from your illness or treatment. The members of the team include doctors, nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, bereavement counsellors and volunteers. They work closely with medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, psychiatrists, pharmacists and chaplains.
Our palliative care service works well with other specialities including oncology, geriatrics and surgical units promoting shared care and continuity of care. Palliative care is provided for patients with cancer and non-cancer diagnoses.
http://www.slhd.nsw.gov.au/Concord/PalliativeCare_about.html