Quick Links Online Palliative Medicine Handbook Translating and Interpreting Authority Prescribing GP Resources State Based Referrals

“Asking questions can help: an aid for people seeing the palliative care team” A consumer booklet from Palliative Care Australia

The End-of-Life Palliative Education Resource Centre (EPERC) Fast Facts provide succinct, practical advice to help prepare for difficult situations, including how to:

• Deliver bad news   
• Run a family conference
• Respond to strong patient emotions 
• Deal with the angry patient
• Help maintain hope
• Make referrals to palliative care
• Talk to patients’ young children    
• Use an interpreter effectively
• Evaluate requests for hastening death  
• Tell families what to expect when the patient dies.

Psychosocial and spiritual concerns often become more important as the end of life approaches. The issues may relate to quality of life, spirituality, or existential concerns.

For helpful approaches, the EPERC Fast Facts have guidance on:

• The living well interview which helps doctors and their patients identify the main concerns as death approaches, and provides a positive context for advance care planning conversations
• The patient centered interview which helps the doctor to understand how the patient thinks about their situation, and may be useful when patients do not seem to accept medical advice or treatment
• The spiritual history which helps the doctor to understand a patient’s beliefs and culture, in order to provide appropriate care.   

Finding Out More

• Commonwealth Government Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS)   
• Multicultural Palliative Care Guidelines.

Related CareSearch pages

•   Palliative Approach in General Practice

 

This page was created on 26 March 2007 and is due for review in March 2009