These pages provide access to resources and literature relevant to the practice of palliative care for Speech Pathologists.

Role in palliative care
This information will help you to find out more about working in Palliative Care. It may include narratives from those working in the area, descriptions of the role, or why the position is important. 

Education and training
There are different ways to develop your knowledge and skills in palliative care. Web based learning modules, short courses and specialist palliative care courses and training are offered in many organisations and universities. Further information can be found on the Education pages of CareSearch.

The Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach (PEPA) is an initiative under the National Palliative Care Program. It is a supported multidisciplinary course with work placements, offered across the country funded until 2010.

The Bachelor of Speech Pathology degree at The University of Newcastle, NSW is the only course in Australia at present with an integrated program of “palliative thinking” across the four years of the undergraduate program. The program follows on from pilot research involvement (in collaboration with the discipline of Social Work) in the ‘Palliative Care for Undergraduates’ (PCC4U) program. This pilot research is currently being written up for publication (see Mathisen, Crofts and Yates for full details).

The Occupational Therapy unit at James Cook University offers a postgraduate course ‘Allied Health Interventions for Palliative Care’.

Research
Many health professions may be interested in looking at palliative care research questions in their area of specialty. This may be work that is planned for the future. Any palliative care professional regardless of discipline is able to access the CareSearch Research Data Management System (RDMS).

• Standards for providing quality palliative care for all Australians
• Palliative care service provision in Australia: a planning guide
• A guide to palliative care service development: A population based approach.

The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing website has a palliative care section

Free Full Text Article

• Pollens R. Role of the speech-language pathologist in palliative hospice care. J Palliat Med. 2004 Oct;7(5):694-702.
• Crawford G, Price S. Team working: palliative care as a model of interdisciplinary practice. Med J Aust. 2003 Sep 15;179(6 Suppl):S32-4.
• Street A, Blackford J. Communication issues for the interdisciplinary community palliative care team. J Clin Nurs. 2001 Sep;10(5):643-50.