Family Resources

About palliative care

• Palliative Care Support for Patients, Carers and Families (1.30MB pdf)
  CareSearch Booklet
• What is palliative care?
  Information from Palliative Care Australia
• Australian Charter of Health Care Rights (744kb pdf)
  Brochure from the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare

Advance care planning

• Dying to Talk: Discussion Starter Kit
  From PCA the kit guides discussion about the future with family and friends
• Advance care planning guide (Select State or Territory of interest)
  From Advance Care Planning Australia website

At the very end of life

• Confusion and terminal restlessness (1.39MB pdf)
  A brochure for caregivers from Palliative Care Victoria
• The process of dying
  A brochure for caregivers from Palliative Care Victoria

Bereavement, grief and loss

• Understanding grief
  From Palliative Care Australia
• Needing help after someone has died? Booklet (1.65MB pdf)
  From Centrelink Summary of relevant services and other useful information

Carers

• Resources for carers (1.40MB pdf) 
  A pamphlet from Palliative Care Victoria
• A journey lived (1.44MB pdf)
  A booklet of carers’ stories from Palliative Care Australia
• Practical caring: At the end of life (222kb pdf)
  Fact sheet for carers from CareSearch
• Why information matters: At the end of life (273kb pdf)
  Fact sheet for carers from CareSearch
• Looking after yourself (1.39MB pdf)
  A pamphlet from Palliative Care Victoria
• How and why to get family to help with caring (56kb pdf)
  Information sheet for carers from Carers Victoria
• Finding good information about medicines
  Fact sheet from the National Prescribing Service

Complementary Therapies

• Complementary medicines - tell your healthcare professionals 
  Fact sheet produced by the Better Health Channel
• Complementary and alternative medicine: making informed decisions (64kb pdf)
  A fact sheet for patients and families from the Cancer Council Victoria

Discussing palliative care

• Asking questions can help 
  A question prompt list from Palliative Care Australia
• How can I support my friend or family member? (615kb pdf)
  An information brochure for families and friends from Palliative Care Australia.

Funerals

• Understanding funerals (64kb pdf)
  Fact sheet from the Cancer Council NSW
• Planning a funeral (1.01MB pdf)
  Fact sheet from the Seniors Information Service NSW
• Needing help after someone has died? (1.65MB pdf)
  From Centrelink

Medicines

• Medication Safety for Older People
  Page from Health Direct

Pain

• Overcoming Cancer Pain - A guide for people with cancer, their families and friends (314kb pdf)
  Booklet from the Cancer Council of NSW
• Facts about morphine and other opioid medicines in palliative care 
  Brochure from Palliative Care Australia
• About pain and the help available (1.66MB pdf)
  A brochure from Palliative Care Victoria

Residential Aged Care

• 10 Questions to Ask
  Written by professionals with experience in aged care, 10 Questions is a series of leaflets to help people choose a suitable residential aged care facility.

Symptoms other than pain

• Nausea and vomiting (1.39MB pdf)  
  An information brochure from Palliative Care Victoria
• Nutrition in palliative care (1.39MB pdf)  
  An information brochure for carers from Palliative Care Victoria
• Anorexia in advanced illness (1.39MB pdf)
• An information brochure from Palliative Care Victoria
• Confusion and terminal restlessness (1.39MB pdf)
  An information brochure for carers from Palliative Care Victoria 
• Medicines and brand names, explained
  Information from the National Prescribing Service

Need more resources

Check out the Patients, Carers and Families section of the CareSearch website.

Page updated 31 March 2020