Compassionate Palliative Care and Support
Palliative care in Aged Care focuses on optimising the quality of life and mitigating or reducing suffering for you or your loved one with serious, complex, and often terminal illnesses.
TriCare Aged Care Residences also provide an end-of-life care pathway to ensure that your loved one is treated with love, comfort and dignity as they approach the end of life. You can rest assured knowing that all our staff have regular training to be able to deliver compassionate aged care palliative care and end-of-life care.
What is Palliative Care in Aged Care?
What is Palliative Care in Aged Care?
Palliative care is a special type of healthcare that focuses on comfort, quality of life, and managing symptoms for people with serious or life-limiting illnesses.
It is not just for end-of-life care; many people receive palliative care for months or even years while still being active in their daily lives. Its aim is to ease pain, provide emotional support, and offer holistic care, helping individuals maintain their dignity and wellbeing throughout their journey.
Examples of Aged Care Palliative Care
Tailored medication and therapies to effectively relieve pain, control nausea, and manage breathlessness.
Counselling, companionship, and therapy to help residents and families cope with the challenges of serious illness.
Access to chaplaincy, pastoral care, and alternative therapies like music, aromatherapy, and relaxation techniques to promote well-being.
Compassionate and respectful care that ensures comfort, dignity, and emotional support for residents and their families in their final moments.
Palliative Care Inclusions
Palliative Care Inclusions
Palliative care in our nursing homes include caring for the resident and providing emotional support for their family to help navigate this difficult time. Our team ensures privacy, sensitive communication, involvement in all decisions, or simply a thoughtful cup of tea and a shoulder to lean on.
When possible, the resident and their family are fully consulted about their preferences for compassionate Palliative Care and the development of any end-of-life care plan.
Residents and family members are encouraged to include any express wishes regarding social, cultural, or spiritual needs and any advanced care directives that may be in place.
Benefits of Palliative Care for Elderly Residents
Benefits of Palliative Care for Elderly Residents
Palliative care in aged care homes like TriCare, aim to provide genuine standards of care, compassion, and comfort, helping residents live as fully as possible while receiving the support they need.
Palliative care offers comfort, dignity, and support at every stage, ensuring individuals and their families receive the compassionate care when they need it most.
Aged Care Palliative Care Benefits in more detail
Aims to ease pain, manage symptoms, and enhance overall wellbeing, helping individuals enjoy the best quality of life possible.
Palliative care is centred around the person, taking into account physical, emotional, and spiritual needs while aligning with personal values and wishes.
Utilises medication, therapies, and holistic methods to manage pain, breathlessness, nausea, fatigue, and other uncomfortable symptoms.
Offers counselling, respite care, and emotional support to assist loved ones through the challenges of a serious or life-limiting illness
Provides access to counselling, mental health professionals, and companionship programs to help residents deal with anxiety, depression, or grief.
Includes pastoral care, music therapy, aromatherapy, and relaxation techniques to offer comfort beyond traditional medical care.
Guarantees individuals receive dignified, compassionate care in their final moments, supporting both residents and their families during this time.
The Role of Palliative Care in the Nursing Home
The Role of Palliative Care in the Nursing Home
In aged care settings, palliative care is woven into daily care plans, focusing on physical, emotional, and psychological needs while ensuring comfort and quality of life.
At TriCare’s residential aged care homes, a dedicated team including nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, and carers come together to provide holistic, person-centred care. Families and loved ones play an important role in care planning, making sure the resident’s wishes and values are honoured.
Accessing Palliative Care in Aged Care
You do not have to be currently receiving Aged Care services to access Palliative Care in residential Aged Care, however, the same entry process applies. The Australian Government funds various care services, including Permanent Residential Aged Care for seniors. To be eligible to receive Aged Care in Australia, your loved one must be assessed by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT). You can apply for an assessment through My Aged Care.
Book a Free Consultation with our Aged Care Specialist Team or call 1300 874 2273. Our team will ask questions to understand your loved ones clinical needs and financial requirements and explain our range of services and accommodation options.
We recommend you visit your preferred location, meet our team, and ensure the suitability of the residence for your loved one.
If you’d like to proceed with TriCare there are a number of steps to complete to apply including providing the required documentation and being assessed by our Clinical Team.
Our on-site team at your chosen Aged Care Residence will provide consistent palliative and healthcare support for you and your family.
Common Misconceptions about Palliative Care
Common Misconceptions about Palliative Care
1. It’s only for end-of-life care. Palliative care can start at any stage of a serious illness to improve wellbeing.
2. It replaces standard medical treatment. It works alongside existing treatments to manage symptoms and enhance quality of life.
3. It’s only for cancer patients. Palliative care supports individuals with many conditions, such as dementia, heart disease, and respiratory illnesses.
Frequently Asked Questions – Palliative Care Aged Care
Here at TriCare, our palliative care focuses on improving residents’ quality of life by prioritising comfort, dignity, and support. This ensures that those with serious illnesses receive care tailored to their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
Key aspects of quality of life in TriCare’s palliative care includes:
1. Personalised care plans: TriCare works with residents, their families, and healthcare teams to create palliative care plans that reflect personal wishes, including social, cultural, and religious aspects.
2. Holistic support: In addition to managing physical symptoms, TriCare offers emotional and spiritual support, ensuring residents feel valued and respected during their care journey.
3. Family involvement: TriCare understands the importance of family and provides support services to help loved ones through this difficult time, creating a caring environment for both residents and their families.
By bringing these elements together, TriCare’s palliative care services aim to create a supportive and enriching environment, allowing residents to live as comfortably and meaningfully as they can.
Recognising when a loved one might need palliative care is essential for ensuring they get the right support, comfort, and management of symptoms. Palliative care isn’t just for end-of-life situations; it can be introduced at any point during a serious illness to enhance quality of life. Here are some key signs that suggest palliative care could be helpful:
– A serious or life-limiting illness: conditions like cancer, dementia, heart failure, kidney disease, or respiratory issues may need special care to manage symptoms and ensure well-being.
– Frequent hospital visits: if your loved one is often going to the hospital due to worsening symptoms, palliative care can help lessen hospital stays by providing ongoing support.
– Uncontrolled pain or symptoms: If they’re dealing with chronic pain, breathlessness, nausea, fatigue, or a loss of appetite, palliative care can provide effective relief and management.
– Increased need for care: if everyday tasks like eating, dressing, or moving around are getting harder, palliative care can offer extra support to help maintain comfort and dignity.
– Emotional or psychological struggles: serious illnesses can lead to anxiety, depression, or emotional pain. Palliative care includes mental health support and counselling for both the patient and their family.
– Preference for comfort-focused care: if curative treatments are no longer effective or desired, palliative care focuses on comfort, dignity, and quality of life.
If your loved one is showing any of these signs, palliative care may enhance their wellbeing and provide peace of mind for families. TriCare’s residential aged care options include specialised palliative care services, ensuring compassionate and holistic support for those in need.
Palliative care can occur at any time during a person’s complex or terminal illness and focuses on enhancing the person’s quality of life. End-of-life care refers to the plan in place to manage a person’s comfort and dignity in the final weeks and days of life.
The resident, their family members, and the person’s health care team, including doctors and support staff, can be involved in making a Palliative Care plan or End-of-life Care Plan. These plans are tailored to the individual’s wishes and needs and can include any preferences for advanced care or social, cultural, or religious factors that should be considered.
Yes. Palliative Care Plans are reviewed regularly to ensure that the resident’s needs and preferences are being met. End-of-life Care Plans are reviewed weekly or daily as required to ensure comfort and dignity for the individual and their family.
Palliative care and end-of-life care are often mixed up, but they have different objectives and can be given at various stages of illness. Please see table following for more information.
| Aspect | Palliative Care | End-of-Life Care |
| Purpose | Enhances quality of life by managing pain and symptoms of serious illness. | Focuses on comfort and dignity in the final weeks or days of life. |
| Timing | Can begin at any stage of a serious or life-limiting illness, even while receiving curative treatments. | Provided when a person is expected to pass away soon, typically in the last few weeks or days. |
| Scope of Care | Manages pain, symptoms, and emotional distress, supporting both patients and families. | Provides comfort care only, ensuring a peaceful passing with minimal discomfort. |
| Medical Treatment | Can be given alongside curative treatments to improve well-being. | Curative treatments are usually stopped and care focuses on symptom relief. |
| Who Receives It? | People with cancer, dementia, heart failure, respiratory disease, and other serious conditions. |
Patients who are in the final stages of their illness, where recovery is not expected.
|
| Setting | Provided in hospitals, aged care homes, hospices, or at home. | Typically provided in aged care facilities, hospices, hospitals, or at home with palliative support. |
| Family Involvement | Helps families cope with caregiving, emotional stress, and planning for the future. | Supports families through grief, bereavement, and final goodbyes. |
At TriCare, we’re here to provide compassionate and dignified palliative care to ensure your loved one feels comfortable and respected.
Get in touch with us or book a tour online to see how we can support your family during this important time with palliative care in our nursing homes.
