What palliative care is
Palliative care is support for a person living with a terminal illness, and for the people around them. It focuses on comfort: pain relief, help with other symptoms, and practical and emotional support. It is not only for the final days. Many people have it for months, alongside other treatment.
It is provided by specialist palliative care teams, community nurses, GPs and hospices. Some care happens in a hospital or hospice. A lot of it happens at home, with nurses visiting and, often, a phone number to call between visits.
How people usually reach it
In Australia, most people are referred by a GP or the treating team. You can also ask for a referral yourself. Each state and territory has public palliative care services, and there are private providers too.
Once a service accepts the referral, someone will usually call to arrange a first visit or appointment. How quickly that happens depends on the service and where you live. This is general information, not medical advice.
What to have ready for a first contact
A list of current medicines, including anything given as needed. The names of the doctors involved. A short note of what is hardest right now, whether that is pain, sleep, eating, or simply getting through the night.
Questions worth asking: who to call after hours, whether nurses visit at home, and what happens if things change quickly. Write the answers down. It is hard to hold detail in your head in a week like this.
Finding services near the Sunshine Coast
The finder below shows palliative care services near the Sunshine Coast, drawn from Google Maps. A listing there is not a recommendation by 18December. It is a starting point. Your GP, the treating team and public palliative care services in Queensland can help you work out which one fits.
Our guides go deeper on what to expect, when to call, and how to manage symptoms at home.
Palliative care: what it is and what to expect · When to call palliative care · Managing symptoms at home