Aged care standards and palliative care
The new Standards are applicable to aged care service providers in the context of the care services being provided.
These standards impose a legal requirement to deliver services in accordance with best practice and as such all aged care services have an obligation to consider the applicability of a palliative care within the context of other services.
Under the new standards there are two specific references to end-of-life care:
Standard 2.3 (b) Assessment and planning identifies and addresses the consumer’s current needs, goals and preferences, including advance care planning and end of life planning if the consumer wishes.
Standard 3.3 (c) The needs, goals and preferences of consumers nearing the end of life are recognised and addressed, their comfort maximised and their dignity preserved.
All organisations as part of their care assessment needs will therefore need to be able to address how they have taken these requirements into account.
For more on the place of palliative care in the new Standards, see the Understanding the Standards page.