Palliative Care information and resources

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Palliative Care Access to Core Medicines (PCAM)

The Palliative Care Access to Core Medicines (PCAM) project is designed to support palliative care in the community and assists people who wish to die at home through timely access to essential medicines. This minimises suffering associated with emergent end-of-life symptoms. The Core Medicines List (CML) includes the medicines endorsed by the Australian and New Zealand Society for Palliative Medicines for use in community-based palliative patients and is considered the core palliative care medicine lists published in other states.

The Medicines in the Last Days of Life: anticipatory medicines and medication management for end-of-life care  recorded webinar is designed to equip GPs, community pharmacists and other health professionals with knowledge about anticipatory medicines and medication management for end-of-life care.

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Department of Health Palliative Care Program

Specialist palliative care services can support people with a life-threatening illness through:

• direct care for people requiring specialist palliative care interventions
• shared care arrangements with other healthcare providers
• consultation and advice to other services and healthcare teams providing end-of-life care
• education and training on palliative care and end-of-life issues
• undertaking and disseminating research about caring for the dying and their families/carers.

Visit the Victorian Department of Health website for updates and information.

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AIHW Palliative Care Services in Australia report

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare released their updated Palliative Care Services report on 9 November 2023. With an ageing and growing population, it is projected that the demand for palliative care and end-of-life care will rise substantially.  Palliative care services in Australia has been published as a web only report since 2015. This report is regularly updated to include the latest data from a range of sources.

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Victoria's Palliative Care Advice Service

The Palliative Care Advice Service (PCAS) provides Victorians with specialist palliative care information, guidance and support. A Victorian Department of Health initiative hosted by The Royal Melbourne Hospital, the service provides free confidential advice when living with or caring for someone with life-limiting illness, palliative or end of life care needs.

Specialist doctors and nurses are available to assist clinicians, patients, carers and families. The service is also available to all Victoria-based healthcare providers. 

PCAS can be contacted on 1800 360 000 (from 7am to 10pm daily).

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Palliative Care: It’s more than you think!

To encourage more people to think about their end-of-life experience, Palliative Care Australia has created a national education campaign ‘Palliative Care: It’s more than you think!’'. This has a strong focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, as well and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. 

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Who’s that Palliative Care Mob

The ‘Who’s that palliative care mob?’ animated video and booklet is designed to to raise awareness about palliative care within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. It features one family’s story and shares information on services and support available for those on their returning to Spirit journey.

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Free Palliative Care Knowlege Maps for allied health professionals 

ELDAC has produced a Toolkit which contains two personal knowledge maps to help allied health professionals build their skills in key areas of palliative care. 

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AIHW Report: Dementia Summary 2022

The Dementia Summary 2022 report provides a comprehensive picture of dementia in Australia, including the latest statistics on dementia prevalence, burden of disease, deaths, expenditure and the use of health and aged care services among people with dementia. 

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Dementia Toolkit for aged care staff

More than two thirds of aged care residents have moderate to severe cognitive impairment. ELDAC's Dementia Toolkit provides information and guidance to support palliative care and advance care planning with to help aged care staff improve their knowledge, skills and confidence in caring for people living with dementia and their families.

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SCV Reducing barriers to completion of a Medical Certificate Cause of Death (MCCD)

Safer Care Victoria has developed two checklists to help improve the completion of an MCCD. The checklists can be used by acute health services when discharging a patient or to help in preparing a patient to die at home when being admitted to a community palliative care service.

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Self-Care Matters

Whatever role you play in palliative care, preventing burnout and building resilience is critical to your well-being. Planning and practising effective self-care strategies can sustain your capacity to flourish and support others, both personally and professionally. The 'Self-Care Matters' resource is designed to provide support with understanding self-care. 

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Dementia Resources

Dementia is the second leading cause of death in Australia. A suite of resources for health professionals and people diagnosed with dementia has been developed to provide:

• Updated HealthPathways, including best-practice clinical and referral pathways and links to resources for patients, family and carers.  
• Dementia information sheet with local Dementia Directory, designed for GPs to help patients, carers and family with support and resources within the EMPHN region.

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Changes to PBS listing of morphone and oxycodone oral solutions

The Department of Health and Aged Care has changed the listing for a number of critical palliative care drugs on the PBS. These changes allow pharmacists to dispense volumes smaller than a whole bottle at PBS subsidised prices.

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Palliative Care Projects database

ELDAC has created a searchable database (ProSeek) of palliative care projects, research and activities completed across Australia. This contains hundreds of records with useful knowledge and resources for making decisions and solving problems in aged care. Projects, research and activities can be submitted to ProSeek. Read ELDAC’s Cheat Sheet Submitting a Project to find out more.

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Palliative Care and Advance Care Planning: Current Practices in Victorian Cancer Services 

The Victorian Integrated Cancer Services have published Palliative Care and Advance Care Planning: Current Practices in Victorian Cancer Services project. This report has important implications for anyone working in advanced care planning, palliative care and end-of-life care.  

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The Palliative Care Education Directory (PaCE)

Educators and health and aged care providers can use an App on a smartphone, tablet or desktop to access the PaCE resource directory. This will provide ready access to palliative care education and training resources from the Collaborative and other National Palliative Care Projects (NPCPs).

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Supporting Inclusive End of Life Care Companion Guides

The ELDAC Supporting Inclusive End-of-Life Care companion guides are designed to assist aged care providers to offer culturally safe and inclusive end-of-life care. They are available for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples; Culturally and Linguistically Diverse People; and LGBTQI+ People. 

CHAP (Comprehensive Health Assessment Program): Improving the health of adults with intellectual disability Apply for a free licence to use the CHAP tool in Australia. CHAP is designed to prompt a comprehensive health assessment for adults with intellectual disability. This may help doctors make better diagnoses, provide appropriate treatment and ultimately ensure overall better health. It is a two-part questionnaire requiring collaboration between the person with the intellectual disability, their supporter and their GP.  FREE Home Care App for care workers The ELDAC Home Care App provides practical tips and support for home care workers to care for their clients’ changing needs as they reach the end of life. The app can be downloaded for free from the Apple App store or Google Play store. End of life care for trans and gender diverse people Hospice UK have published I just want to be me, a report that uses real-world experience to understand and inform how trans and gender diverse people access and understand end of life care. It sets out recommendations for what hospices and palliative care professionals can do to make end of life care more equal and accessible for everyone. Facing End of Life Cancer Council Victoria has designed the Facing End of Life booklet to support people dying with cancer, as well as their families, friends and people caring for them.  With information on laws around Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD), organ and tissue donation and understanding grief, as well as graphics  showing how to help people in their final stages of life and ways of remembering them.  Acute Care Resource Pack To support health professionals who work in hospitals and care for patients who are approaching the end of their life, CareSearch has developed the Acute Care Resource Pack which contains access to tools, guides and information factsheets. Flying Doctor Memory Lane program Memory Lane is the Royal Flying Doctor Service's free program that assists people in palliative care to visit a place in Victoria of significance to them. Flying Doctor Memory Lane journeys are available for clients who meet the required eligibility criteria. The Goals-of-Care Conversation: A Best-Practice, Step-By-Step Approach Engaging patients in meaningful goals-of-care discussions is critical to providing patient-centered, individualised care. High quality care can only be achieved when a patient’s care is aligned with their goals, preferences and values. Eight key components of a goals-of-care conversation with examples of questions and empathic responses or prompts clinicians can be used to guide the goals-of-care discussion. Setting up for At-home Palliative Care Visit the Caresearch website for assistance on how prepare for palliative care in the home. There is a list of practical things to consider, specialised equipment or changes in the home that may be needed, as well as links to useful resources.