Helping people with a life-limiting illness to live as well and as long as possible
Palliative care helps people with a life-limiting illness to live as well and as long as possible, by managing pain and other symptoms to ensure their quality of life is maximised. It is high-quality healthcare and support for patients and their families and carers. It identifies and treats symptoms that may be physical, emotional, spiritual or social. This palliative care for community webpage provides information on Murray PHN’s The Caring Circle project, the Carer Network Strategy and resources for community members.
Current projects: The Caring Circle
Murray PHN’s The Caring Circle project aims to improve the health and end-of-life care journey of people in rural and remote Victoria living with a life-limiting illness (like dementia, diabetes and heart failure). It also aims to provide resources and supports for their carers. We bring communities together to discuss people’s wishes and goals for their end-of-life when they are no longer able to make decisions for themselves. Our project is funded by the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care’s Greater Choices for at Home Palliative Care measure.
Project focus
The Caring Circle project aims to:
raise the importance of planning ahead and having people’s end-of-life wishes respected and documented
enhance early identification of people living with life-limiting illnesses accessing general practice services
engage early advance care planning discussions and care planning in the community
expand professional development opportunities in palliative care for health service providers to improve system capacity.
Which treatments would I find unacceptable when death is inevitable?
What is an acceptable quality of life to me? What would this look like?
Who do I want close to me when my time comes?
Talk it out:
Sharing what you want is important; don’t assume your doctor and family know your wishes. The best time to have these conversations is as early as possible.
There is a wide range of helpful resources and supports for people living with a life-limiting illness and their carers/families. Please find below a variety of links that we have checked for quality and usefulness.
A two-year palliative care project to enhance Greater Shepparton’s community networks and support carers of people who are dying.
Why?
Because one in 10 Australians (2.65 million) are carers. In Victoria, there are more than 730,000 people (11%) in a caring role, made up of 70 per cent female and 25 per cent of carers providing 40+ hours of unpaid care per week (Victoria State Government, 2015; Carers Australia, 2021). There are many benefits of carer support groups, including promoting increased levels of informal interconnectedness between carers, local community and health services, with the potential of reducing social isolation and increasing wellbeing.
How?
The Caring Circle has commissioned Goulburn Valley Hospice, a community palliative care service in Shepparton, to deliver a wellbeing program for carers of someone at their end-of-life. The program was designed after consultation with carers in the region and will include six-week cycles of wellbeing activities and the opportunity to connect with other carers.
Leadership
Collaboration
Respect
Accountability
Innovation
Murray PHN acknowledges its catchment crosses over many unceded First Nations Countries, following the Dhelkunya Yaluk (Healing River).
We pay our respects and give thanks to the Ancestors, Elders and Young people for their nurturing, protection and caregiving of these sacred lands and waterways, acknowledging their continuing cultural, spiritual and educational practices.
We are grateful for the sharing of Country and the renewal that Country gives us. We acknowledge and express our sorrow that this sharing has come at a personal, spiritual and cultural cost to the wellbeing of First Nations peoples. We commit to addressing the injustices of colonisation across our catchment, and to listening to the wisdom of First Nations communities who hold the knowledge to enable healing. We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.