ACT: Palliative Care Representatives

ACT Consumer Reference Group for End of Life and Palliative Care

The ACT Palliative Care Governance Committee is looking for members of the Canberra community to join the inaugural ACT Consumer Reference Group for End of Life and Palliative Care.

This reference group is being created to increase consumer, carer and community participation in the planning and delivery of end of life and palliative care service delivery across the Territory.

Applications close 31 August, 2020.

For more information on the reference group and to complete the EOI form read the ACT Consumer Reference Group for End of Life and Palliative Care Guidelines or contact CHS.CAS@act.gov.au.

Please send EOI form to toni.ashmore@act.gov.au.

Canberra Health Services palliative care services provide high quality care and support to all people in the ACT, regardless of their diagnosis.

Our services follow the palliative approach that links primary care services with health professionals to improve quality of life for those with a life limiting illness, as well as their caregivers and family.

This approach incorporates the holistic needs of you and your caregivers during your treatment of pain and the delivery of your physical, psychological, social and spiritual care.

We don’t delay palliative care until the end stages of your illness. Instead we focus our care on active comfort and use a positive approach to reduce suffering and to promote an understanding of loss and bereavement. This means you can receive palliative care aimed at reducing symptoms of illness or treatment alongside your active treatment such as chemotherapy or heamodialysis. 

A Territory Wide Palliative Care Service Project is currently underway to provide direction for the delivery of care in line with recently revised national standards developed by Palliative Care Australia.  

Please see the links below for more information on palliative care:

• World Health Organisation Definition of Palliative Care
• Standards for Providing Quality Palliative Care for all Australians

If you or your loved one think palliative care may be of assistance and you are currently at home, talk to your GP or other health professional and ask them to refer you to our service.