Geelong Palliative Care Group

Services

We focus on relieving suffering and improving quality of life for people at various stages in their illness.
Our services should be accessed early on in the course of an illness.

I am a Patient

Family Member or Carer

Health Care Professional

Geelong Palliative Care Group Service Aims

Care at Home

We aim to keep people in their chosen venue of care

We realise that the provision of care in the home is a challenging experience for family and caregivers. If you are living with a life-limiting illness or caring for someone who is nearing the end of life, we can help to provide palliative care services to you at home.
This may include visits from a range of service providers on an occasional or regular basis.

Your needs determine what services you require, not your diagnosis

There may be different levels of services available, depending on where you live.
End of life care services at home may include:

Plans can change

Sometimes people go into a hospital to have their symptoms managed or to give their carers a break and then return home. Or they may decide that they would be more comfortable in an aged care facility or hospital. Accept that plans can change and do what is best for your particular situation.
If you are planning to die at home, talk to us about ways of dealing with unexpected medical events.

“Receiving care at home can help people to maintain a daily routine and feel more secure.”

Did You Know?

70% of Australians want to die at home.
Only 14% do so.
Despite their wishes, about 1/2 of Australians die in hospital and 1/3 die in residential care.
Dying Well, Grattan Institute Report, 2014

Care in Hospital

You may need more care than can be given at home

Those caring for you might need a break or can no longer cope with your increasing needs. If your condition worsens, you may need to consider another care option such as an acute hospital admission.Hospitalisation may only be temporary, due to intermittent episodes of a condition or fluctuations in your needs.

You may need hospital care for some of the following reasons

Symptom Management
Assessment, monitoring and care can be provided to manage symptoms such as pain or nausea.
Complex Needs
Your medical or other needs may become complex and specialist care may be required.
Respite
You may be admitted to hospital for a few days or weeks so that your family or carer can have a short break.
Care as the End Of Life approaches
You or your carer may decide that it is not possible for you to be cared for at home as you approach the end of your life.

“A hospital admission may be necessary to manage a difficult symptom . Often you may be able to return home after a period of inpatient care.”

We support you at your chosen location

We look after patients at a number of different hospitals in the Geelong region, including:

Residential Aged Care

While there are a lot of benefits from being cared for at home, staying at home may not always be possible. For some patients with chronic illness ‘Home’ may mean a move to a residential care facility or supported accommodation.

We support patients who are making this challenging decision, in transitioning from home or hospital to a long term residential aged care facility.We offer regular patient consultations at these facilities, helping to maintain patients in their new ‘home away from home’ and supporting nursing staff to enhance patient care.

Advance Care Planning

Advance care planning is a process to help you plan your medical care in advance. This can be an extremely important step in the process, as later on, you might become too unwell to make decisions for yourself. The medication you might be taking, or the pain you might be in can make it hard to clearly communicate your wishes.
In those cases, it may be up to your family or friends to make decisions about your health care. This can be extremely stressful for loved ones, especially if they can not agree on the best approach to your care. If you communicate with them in advance and give them a document detailing the type of care that you would like to receive, this can help them make decisions on your behalf. As long as you can still clearly communicate and can make your own health decisions, your advance care plan will not need to be used. Your doctors will talk to you about your health care choices.

Doctors will only refer to your Advance Care Plan if you can no longer communicate or make decisions.

Some people see an Advance Care Plan just like creating a Will or Testament. In fact, many people complete both documents at the same time. If you have a chronic disease, if you are elderly or if your health seems to be getting worse, talk to your family about your health care wishes and document them.

Psychological Support Services

We work closely with a group of psychologists trained in caring for people with psychological and mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety and in particular adjustment difficulties associated with living with a palliative condition.

We will ensure that all of our patients receive the full support, guidance and understanding they require. Where required, we are also able to refer patients to extra service providers who are able to assist with your more in-depth psychiatric assessment.

We are aware of the complex psychosocial and spiritual issues related to life-limiting illness and imminent death and are therefore committed to the provision of appropriate supports including:

Service Venues of Care

Inpatient Admissions

Inpatient Consult Service

Outpatient Service Locations

Our Referral Process

Geelong Palliative Care Group accepts referrals from anyone requiring Palliative Care within the Greater Geelong Region including Geelong, Surf Coast Shire, Bellarine and Colac- Otway Regions. All referrals will first be discussed with the relevant primary Health Care Provider before contacting the patient.