Our palliative approach

Palliative care is not limited to the last weeks or days of life. It is a philosophy of care that may be appropriate many months before an individual actually dies. The underlying philosophy of a palliative approach is a positive and open attitude towards death and dying.

Palliative care is a core and growing aspect of services within residential aged care and Eldercare has actively pursued opportunities to build its clinical expertise and organisational capability.

Eldercare employs a dedicated palliative care team, which offers faster and more accessible specialist support for staff, residents, and their families, leading to an improved resident experience during the palliative and end-of-life stages. Several qualified palliative care nurse practitioners are part of this team, providing additional expertise and services.

The team’s purpose is to:

• provide advice and support to residents who are receiving palliative and end-of-life care (and their families)
• mentor staff and model best practices in palliative and end-of-life care
• develop resources and education to support staff, with training modules created for specific purposes (e.g. managing grief and loss) and for specific role types (e.g. personal carers, nurses, clinical leadership).

To give you peace of mind, we will talk to you to understand what you want to happen when it comes to:

• emergency medical treatment
• treatment of a deteriorating condition, and
• care at the end of your life.

Your preferences and wishes will be documented in an advanced care directive, which will also identify at least one person to make decisions on your behalf should it become necessary.

We’ll work with you and/or your decision maker as well as your GP and relevant specialists to prepare a clinical plan based on your directives if your medical condition deteriorates.

Eldercare’s multi-disciplinary team is available to support you and your family as you consider your options.