National Palliative Care Week began on Sunday, May 11 and will finish this Saturday, May 16. Photo: Supplied.
This National Palliative Care Week, Australians are encouraged to reflect on and plan for future end-of-life care.
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End-of-life care is an important aspect of palliative care and is given to people who are nearing the end of their life.
Planning ensures that if someone is no longer able to make decisions for themselves, clinicians, family and carers can use the pre-prepared plan to guide their decisions.
End-of-life doula and Rochester and Elmore District Healthcare nurse Esther Guinea said planning ahead could ensure the person receiving care was well supported.
“I really encourage people to talk to their doctor about palliative care early,” she said.
“You get a lot of support, especially social support and equipment needs, so that you can live well while you have an illness.”
Esther Guinea hosted an information session on end-of-life planning and care earlier this year.
Photo by
Lua Ikenasio
Ms Guinea added that having a plan could bring comfort to family members.
“For the whole family, if they know what your wishes are regarding how you feel about your illness and what you might be expecting along the way... they can make a plan about how they can continue to support their loved one,” she said.
“That gives them comfort later to know that they’ve helped their person live how they wanted to and die how they want to.”
Doctors can provide patients with a referral for palliative care, however people can also directly contact a palliative care service such as a local hospital.
An end-of-life doula such as Ms Guinea can also help families prepare by offering resources and helping to connect families with services they may not know about.
National Palliative Care Week began on Sunday, May 11 and will finish this Saturday, May 16.
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