Supportive and Palliative Care

Our supportive and palliative care teams help manage symptoms and improve comfort and quality of life for people with serious illnesses. Care can begin at diagnosis and continue alongside treatment, supporting both you and those close to you.

What is palliative care?

Palliative care helps people with serious illnesses, such as advanced cancer, heart failure or neurological conditions, live as well and comfortably as possible. It focuses on managing pain and other symptoms while supporting emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing. This holistic care supports both the person and their family and works alongside treatment from other specialists and pain management teams.

When should you or someone you care for consider palliative care?

Palliative care may be worth discussing if you or someone you care for is:

• Living with a serious or life-limiting illness
• Struggling with pain or symptoms that are hard to control
• Feeling anxious or low because of the illness
• Facing complex decisions about future care and treatment

You don't have to wait until other treatments have stopped. Palliative care can begin early and be provided alongside active treatment. For some people, it also includes care during the last weeks or months of life.

What to expect

At your first appointment, the team will want to understand your illness and how it affects you. They will look at your physical symptoms, as well as your emotional and practical needs. Your family and those important to you can also be involved from the start. An open and honest conversation will help guide a plan centred around your needs. The supportive and palliative care team includes doctors, nurses, dietitians, psychologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists.

Through ongoing reviews and assessments, the team will build a plan around your goals and what matters most to you. This may include medicines to manage symptoms, as well as support for other needs. The team can see you in clinic or during a hospital stay and will work closely with your other doctors.

Supportive and Palliative care at Mediclinic

At Mediclinic, you can receive supportive and palliative care as an outpatient or during a hospital stay. Our teams help manage pain, breathlessness and other symptoms that a serious illness can bring, while supporting both you and your family. When your care involves other specialists, our teams work closely with them to coordinate your care. We can also help you plan ahead, provide end-of-life care when needed, and support you and your family during what can be a difficult time.