Palliative care

Palliative care, also called supportive care, is person-centred care that helps people live as comfortably as possible. It can be used at any stage of advanced cancer – not just at end of life.

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What is palliative care?

Palliative care aims to maintain quality of life by meeting physical, emotional, cultural, social, and spiritual needs.

Common questions about palliative care

Discover how to get palliative care, who is in your care team, and whether it means you are close to death.

Practical and legal issues

Plan your care by deciding on your goals and preferences. This is called advance care planning and involves completing relevant documents and appointing a substitute decision-maker.

Palliative treatment

Medical treatment is vital in palliative care. It relieves symptoms like pain, shortness of breath, and loss of appetite, even if the cancer is incurable.

Palliative care for young people

Learn about the services available to support babies, children and teenagers having palliative care.

Caring for someone with advanced cancer

If you are caring for someone with advanced cancer, looking after your physical and emotional needs can help you continue with your caring role.

Seeking support

Find out how to access services for carers, financial assistance, home help and nursing, legal information and respite care.

Questions for your doctorAsking your doctor questions will help you make an informed decision. You may want to include some of the questions below in your own list.

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Palliative care

Who can refer me to palliative care?
Who will be a part of my palliative care team?
Who will coordinate my care?
Where will I receive palliative care?
If I’m at home, what kind of help will be available?
Can I contact the palliative care team at any time? Who do I call after hours?
Will the palliative care team talk to my GP and cancer specialists about my care?
How long will I need palliative care for? What is my prognosis?
How can I get a second opinion about my need for palliative care?
Do I need to see a specialist palliative care service?
What if my condition unexpectedly improves?

Other treatment

Are there other treatments available that might cure the cancer?
If the cancer cannot be cured, what is the aim of the treatments?
Will I receive active treatment for the cancer if I have palliative care?
Are there any clinical trials I could join?
If I don’t have further treatment, what should I expect?
Are there any complementary therapies that might help?

Support services

Can my family or carers get respite care or other assistance?
Do I have to pay for any palliative care services?
What financial and practical assistance is available?
Can you help me talk to my family about what is happening?

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