Palliative care
Primary Health Tasmania works to support quality palliative and end-of-life care for Tasmanians, through our work with the Greater Choice For at Home Palliative Care Measure.
Primary Health Tasmania works to support quality palliative and end-of-life care for Tasmanians, through our work with the Greater Choice For at Home Palliative Care Measure.
Palliative care is holistic care with the goal of improving the quality of life and quality of care for people with an active and progressive life-threatening or limiting illness and their families.
According to Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, the term refers to an approach to treatment that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing life-limiting illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering.
Palliative care includes physical, spiritual and psychosocial support, care and treatment delivered by health professionals and ancillary staff.
Due to Australia’s ageing population and increases in the number of people living with chronic and life-limiting conditions, more and more people are requiring palliative care.
End-of-life care refers to the care provided in the final weeks and days of life and also includes planning for end of life care and the support of families and carers, and care of the patient’s body after their death.
Primary Health Tasmania has been funded by the Australian Government to participate in the Greater Choice for At Home Palliative Care initiative, which aims to help more people receive palliative care and end-of-life care at home.
Palliative care and end-of-life care are provided by a variety of community-based organisations. Primary Health Tasmania’s has a role in providing education and support to primary care medical, nursing and allied health care providers involved in delivering palliative care and end-of-life care.
Primary Health Tasmania is a proud member of the Tasmanian Palliative Care Community Charter Consortium.
Tasmanian HealthPathways – Primary Health Tasmania’s online information portal for primary health clinicians – includes helpful pathways about palliative care, advance care planning, and management of certain health conditions in their palliative stages.