Carers, families and friends

What is palliative care?
This brochure from Palliative Care Australia explains what palliative care is and what it involves, including care for the person with a life-limiting illness, their friends, family and carers. Click here for the link to download the brochure.

Living, dying and grieving well: a guide to palliative care
This booklet has been developed by Palliative Care Victoria. It explains palliative care and how it and can help improve your quality of life, at any stage of your illness. Click here for the link to the booklet.

Affirming life: What is a palliative approach – a guide for family and friends with loved ones in aged care
This booklet has also been developed by Palliative Care Victoria.  It provides information to help family and friends understand the palliative approach provided in residential aged care and to encourage their involvement in their care. Click here to access the booklet.

Caresearch: Patients, carers and families
Caresearch is a website designed as a knowledge network, to provide information and resources for people wanting to know more about palliative care. Click here to link to the website.

Palliative Care Victoria provides information about palliative care in languages other than English.  You can access information in the following languages from their website by clicking on this link: Click here for link.

• Arabic
• Chinese (simplified)
• Chinese (traditional)
• Croatian
• Dutch – Netherlands
• Greek
• Hebrew
• Hindi
• Italian
• Karen
• Macedonian
• Maltese
• Polish
• Russian
• Serbian
• Spanish
• Turkish
• Vietnamese
• Yiddish

Carers Victoria – Support for Carers

Carers Victoria is a statewide voice for family carers representing and providing support to carers in Victoria. Click here to check out their website.

Palliative Care Victoria – Carer Support

This link provides a range of information and resources, tips and strategies for family and carers of people diagnosed with a life-limiting illness. Click here to access a range of Carer Support information.

Palliative Care Australia – How can I support my friend or family member?

This brochure published by Palliative Care Australia provides strategies for helping someone you know who is living with a terminal condition. Click here to access the brochure.

The caring@home Project

The caring@home project and its extension for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families (2017 – 2023) is funded by the Australian Government and led by the Brisbane South Palliative Care Collaborative. These projects aim to improve the quality of palliative care service delivery for all Australians by developing resources to support carers and families to help manage breakthrough symptoms safely using subcutaneous medicines for a person at home.

• caring@home resources are applicable Australia-wide for community service providers, health professionals and workers, and families/carers.
• Resources that support the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families are being developed, based on a national consultation process that occurred during 2020 and 2021.

Click here to access more information and resources.

Australian Government – Payments for carers
The Australian Government Services Australia webpage explains the payments available to carers, based on the eligibility criterion. Click here to find out more information.

Victorian Government – Carer Card Program

A collaboration between the Victorian government, businesses and the community, the Carer Card Program provides eligible cardholders with access to discounts and benefits  from a variety of businesses, local government and community organisations. Click here for more information and how to access the Card.

Victorian Government – Companion Card

The Companion Card is for people with significant and permanent disability who have a lifelong need for a high level of support to participate in community events and activities. The card allows a person’s carer free entry into participating venues and events. Click here for to check eligibility and apply. 

Loddon Mallee Carers Kit

The Loddon Mallee Carers kit is available as a series of information sheets and can be accessed via the Loddon Mallee Regional Palliative Care Consortium website. Click here to access the kit.

CareSearch – Looking after someone with a life-limiting illness

The CareSearch Project consolidates online palliative care knowledge for health professionals, people needing palliative care and their families, and for the general community.  This link provides information to help with your caring role, including how to look after someone and practical resources to assist with caring. Click here to access practical information and resources.

WA Cancer and Palliative Care Network – Understanding the dying process: an information booklet for families

This booklet explains the dying process and the physical and emotional signs and symptoms that may be present. It also explains the practical things that need to be done after someone dies. Click here to access the booklet.

Australian Government Services Australia – What to do following a death

This Australian Government webpage provides information on what you need to do when someone dies, what to prepare before you di and payments, information and help for grieving family members. Click here to access the information.

Palliative Care Australia – Understanding grief
This booklet explains what grief is, thoughts and feelings and physical reactions a person can experience when grieving and where to find further help. Click here for to access the information and the booklet.

Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement Fact Sheets
Fact sheets covering a range of topics about grief and bereavement include:

• About grief
• Grief, anniversaries and significant events
• How to help someone who is grieving
• Children and grief (Pre-school, ages five and under)
• Adolescents and grief

Click here to access the full range of fact sheets.

The Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement – Counselling service
The Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement provides counselling for individuals, children and families after the death of someone close to them. Click here to access more information