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
• Australian Aged Care Quality Standards, see also a summary of the standards from palliAGED

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 (153 kb 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 and Carers section of the CareSearch website.

Page updated 13 August 2020