There are a range of palliative care services, with availability depending on where you live. Some are free, others may have a cost. Talk to your health care team or call Cancer Connect on 13 11 20 for services near you.
Carer services
| Carer Gateway 1800 422 737 |
Information, resources, counselling, support, links to other services, home help or visiting nurses and respite care. |
| Young Carers |
Support for young people under 25 caring for a family member or friend. |
Counselling and mentoring services
|
13 Yarn |
24-hour culturally safe space to yarn about worries with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter. |
| Australian Psychological Society |
Use the “Find a Psychologist” search to look for a practitioner in your area. |
| Better Access initiative |
Information about Medicare rebates for mental health services. Talk to your your GP for more details and to organise a referral. |
| Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 |
24-hour telephone counselling service; online and email counselling 7 days a week. |
|
Carer Gateway Counselling Service |
Free counselling service for carers. Available each day 8am – 6pm. They can also connect you with other carers in your area or an online carer forum. |
|
Cancer Council’s Peer Connect |
Connect with people affected by cancer online, by phone or in person. |
|
Kids Helpline |
Telephone and online counselling and crisis support for people aged 5-25. |
|
Lifeline |
24-hour telephone crisis support and suicide prevention service. |
|
Suicide Call Back Service |
24-hour telephone and online counselling for people affected by suicide. |
Financial assistance
| Centrelink 132 717 |
Offers financial support for people with a long-term illness and for carers. |
| NDIS 1800 800 110 |
Funding and support for people under 65 with a permanent and significant disability. |
| National Debt Helpline 1800 007 007 |
Help with debt problems and finding a financial counsellor. |
| Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) |
Information about the cost of prescription medicines and safety net thresholds. |
| Talk to the social worker on the palliative care team | They may be able to help you find legal or financial support. |
Future planning
| Advance Care Planning Australia 1300 208 582 |
Information about planning for your future health care, including advance care directives. |
| Discussion Starters | Palliative Care Australia website encouraging Australians to talk about dying; includes discussion starters. |
Home help and home nursing
| Talk to your palliative care team, GP and/or health fund. | Some local councils provide services in the home or in the community. |
| My Aged Care 1800 200 422 |
Information about different types of aged care services and eligibility. |
Legal information
|
Cancer Connect |
Cancer Connect may be able to refer you to professionals for advice on legal issues. This service may vary by location. |
| End of Life Law in Australia | Legal information about advance directives, palliative care and voluntary assisted dying (VAD). |
| Public Trustees Australia Search “public trustee” online |
Help you prepare a will and manage your finances in your state or territory. |
Palliative care
| CareSearch | Information about death and dying and links to services and resources. |
|
Palliative Care Australia |
Information and resources; can help connect you with palliative organisations in your state or territory. |
Respite care
| Carer Gateway 1800 422 737 |
Links to respite care at home, in a respite care centre or, in some cases, in a hospital or palliative care unit. |
Support groups and cancer information
| Cancer Council Online Community | An online discussion forum where people can connect with each other any time, ask or answer questions, or write a blog about their experiences. |
|
Telephone support groups |
Includes groups for people with advanced cancer, for carers and for the bereaved. |
| Cancer Council podcasts | Information and insights, with a separate series about advanced cancer. |
| Face-to-face groups Call Cancer Connect on 13 11 20 or ask a hospital social worker |
It can help to meet with others who understand what it is like to have, or care for, someone with cancer. |
Young people and children
| 13 Yarn 13 92 76 |
24-hour culturally safe space to yarn about worries with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter. |
| Cancer Hub 1800 431 312 |
Camp Quality, Canteen and Redkite provide Cancer Hub to help families (with children aged up to 25 years) access a range of support. |
| Youth Cancer Services | Hospital-based cancer treatment and support services for people aged 15–25. |
→ READ MORE: Palliative care stories
More resources
Prof Meera Agar, Palliative Care Physician, Professor of Palliative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, IMPACCT, Sydney, NSW. This edition is based on the previous edition, which was reviewed by the following panel: Prof Meera Agar (see above); Anne Booms, Nurse Practitioner, Palliative Care, Icon Cancer Centre Midlands, WA; Nicola Champion, Consumer; John Clements, Consumer; Dr Alexandra Clinch, Palliative Medicine Specialist and Deputy Director, Palliative Care, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne Hospital, VIC; A/Prof Jaklin Eliott, School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, SA; Dr Jemma Gilchrist, Clinical Psychologist, Mind My Health, NSW; McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer, VIC; Caitlin MacDonagh, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Palliative Care, Royal North Shore Hospital, NSW; Dr Roya Merie, Radiation Oncologist, Icon Cancer Centre, Concord, NSW; Dr Deidre Morgan, Research Centre for Palliative Care, Death and Dying, Flinders University, SA; Caitriona Nienaber, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Palliative Care Australia.
View the Cancer Council NSW editorial policy.
