Palliative care in aged care: what to know

The team considers the resident’s comfort, independence, culture, relationships and understanding of illness. A care plan can describe preferred routines, communication needs, treatment goals, resuscitation wishes and the people who may make decisions if the resident cannot speak for themselves. Staff may help with pain, breathlessness, nausea, constipation, tiredness, anxiety and mouth care. Conversations about palliative care can begin before a crisis and can be revisited after a health change. Support is available for family members as well as the resident.

Ask the facility for a meeting with the nurse, doctor and family contact. Bring the resident’s preferences, medicine list, advance-care documents and information about what calms or upsets them. Ask how symptoms are recorded, how medicines are reviewed and how the facility communicates a change in condition. Agree on culturally respectful care and meaningful activities. Families can also ask whether the resident may receive visits from a specialist palliative team. The [Palliative Care](/treatments/supportive-and-palliative-care/palliative-care/) page offers a wider explanation.

Tell staff promptly about uncontrolled pain, new breathlessness, repeated vomiting, a sudden change in alertness, a fall, inability to take essential medicines or signs of distress. Emergency assessment is appropriate for collapse, severe breathing difficulty, major bleeding, unresponsiveness or serious injury. If a documented care plan sets out comfort-focused responses, staff can use it while contacting the responsible clinician. Families should ask for an update after a significant change.

Who is the lead clinician? Which symptoms need same-day review? How are the resident’s preferences recorded? What happens after hours? How will family be updated when the plan changes?