Wherever you receive end-of-life care, the various health professionals in your health or palliative care team can offer a range of services to help you.
You may not need to see all the people listed below, but understanding the different roles can help you work out what support is available and who to ask about particular issues.
Possible members of your health care team
| GP or family doctor | may coordinate your palliative care and work alongside a palliative care team; continues day-to-day health care |
| physiotherapist | helps with movement and mobility, and preventing further injury |
| social worker | links you to support services and helps you with emotional, practical and financial issues |
| cancer specialist | may be a medical oncologist, surgeon, haematologist, radiation oncologist or cancer nurse practitioner; may refer you to the specialist palliative care team and continue to provide treatment to help manage cancer symptoms |
| counsellor | helps you manage your emotional response to diagnosis and treatment and may support you to explore your hopes for your life and your relationships |
| psychologist | uses evidence-based strategies to help you manage emotional conditions, usually in the long term; also works to support family |
| psychiatrist | specialises in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness, can prescribe medicine and uses evidence-based strategies to manage emotional conditions |
| spiritual care practitioner (pastoral carer, priest, chaplain, minister of religion) | discusses any spiritual matters and helps you reflect on your life and search for meaning; if appropriate, may arrange prayer services and other religious rituals |
| occupational therapist | assists in adapting your living environment; can suggest equipment, such as a hospital bed, walker, wheelchair and bedside commode (toilet chair) |
| volunteer | can help with home or personal care and transport, and also offer support and companionship |
| diversional therapist | offers recreational activities to improve your wellbeing |
| dietitian | helps with nutrition concerns and recommends changes to diet |
| speech pathologist | helps with communication and swallowing problems |
| community nurse | visits you at home to supervise medical care, assesses your needs for supportive care, and works with your GP as required; may coordinate your palliative care |
| end-of-life doula | helps you understand your choices and offers (often for a fee) emotional and practical support, such as help with paperwork, finding services that can help you, and speaking up for your needs |
| palliative care specialist, physician or nurse practitioner | treats pain and other symptoms to maximise wellbeing and improve quality of life; usually work in collaboration with your GP |
→ READ MORE: Could complementary therapies help me?
Podcast: Living Well with Advanced Cancer
Listen to more of our podcast for people affected by advanced cancer
More resources
Fiona Wiseman, Senior Social Worker, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Grace Berwald, Consumer; Peta Brydon, Metastatic McGrath Breast Care Clinical Nurse Consultant, The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, NSW; Kate Bunyan, Social Worker, Psychosocial Lead, Cancer and Palliative Supportive Care, Canberra Region Cancer Centre, ACT; Hayden Christie, Medical Oncologist and Clinical Director Cancer Care Service and Clinical Lead of the VAD Service for Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service, QLD; John Clements, Consumer; Claire Davies, Spiritual Care Practitioner, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Joanne Dean, Nurse Practitioner, PEACE Team, Clare Holland House, ACT; A/Prof Michael Franco, Medical Oncologist and Palliative Medicine Physician, Deputy Head – Monash Medical School, Monash University, VIC; Dr Sally Greenaway, WSLHD Director of Supportive and Palliative Care, Senior Staff Specialist Clinical Haematology and Clinical Ethics Service, NSW; Maree Grier, Clinical Psychologist, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, QLD; Dr Catherine Joyce, National Manager, Advance Care Planning Australia; Mattesse Kitchin, Consumer; Penny Neller, Project Manager, End of Life Law for Clinicians, Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Queensland University of Technology, QLD; Caitriona Nienaber 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Palliative Care Australia; A/Prof Joel Rhee, Head of Discipline of General Practice, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, NSW.
View the Cancer Council NSW editorial policy.
